TheGoodConfession WatchmanNee

Basic Lesson Series—Volume 2
The Good Confession
WATCHMAN NEE
Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc.
New York
Copyright ©1973
Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc.
New York
All Rights Reserved
ISBN 0-935008-05-5
Available from the Publishers at:

11515 Allecingie Parkway
Richmond, Virginia 23235
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
Basic Lesson Series—Volume 2
CONTENTS
8. PUBLIC CONFESSION 7
9. SEPARATED FROM THE WORLD 19
10. THE ELIMINATION OF DISTINCTIONS 35
11. WITNESSING 51
12. HOW TO LEAD PEOPLE TO CHRIST 69
13. HOUSEHOLD SALVATION 89

BASIC LESSONS
ON
PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN LIVING
Burdened with the need of a firm foundation for the Christian life,
brother Watchman Nee gave a series of basic lessons on practical
Christian living during the training session for workers held in
Kuling, Foochow, China in 1948. He expressed the hope that these
essential lessons might be faithfully learned by God’s people,
thereby laying a good foundation for the building up of the Body of
Christ.
These messages on practical Christian living have now been

translated from the Chinese language and will be published in a
series of six books, bearing the various titles of. (1) A Living
Sacrifice; (2) The Good Confession; (3) Assembling Together; (4)
Not I, But Christ; (5) Do All to the Glory of God; and (6) Love One
Another.
“Exercise thyself unto godliness” (1 Tim. 4:7), is the exhortation

of the apostle Paul. May our hearts be so exercised by God’s Word
as to give the Holy Spirit opportunity to perfect the new creation.
All quotations of the Scriptures, unless otherwise indicated, are

from the American Standard Version of the Bible (1901).
8
PUBLIC CONFESSION
The Importance of Public Confession
The matter of confession ought to be brought to the

attention of new believers as soon as possible. Once a
person has trusted in the Lord, he must confess the Lord before men.
He should not hide his faith but should publicly confess it. The
importance of such confession is both laid down in the Bible and is
borne out by our experience.
Suppose a baby makes no sound after one, two, or even three

years of age. What would you think? If the child never talks in
childhood, most probably he will be dumb for the rest of his life. If
he cannot call “Papa,” “Mama,” as a child, he very likely never will.
Likewise, one who believes in the Lord must confess Him
immediately, or else he may be dumb throughout his life.
Today we have seen too much of how people can be Christians for
ten or twenty years and yet still be mute. Because they are
inarticulate during the first and second week of their Christian life,
they remain so ever after. The best opportunity to confess the Lord
comes right at the beginning. If one starts immediately, the way of
confession is forever open. So one must force oneself to speak out
right after he believes in the Lord, even if he feels it difficult and
finds himself rather unwilling. He should confess the Lord before his
friends and relatives; otherwise he will be mute for life. We do not
want to have any dumb believers; therefore let us learn to open our
mouths at the very beginning. Go and find the opportunity to confess
our Lord. Confession is a big thing for new believers and a very
profitable thing too. If it is not done at the outset, it will become
almost impossible later on, unless by the special mercy of God there
comes a revival to the soul.
8 The Good Confession
“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10). The first
half has to do with God while the second half has to do with men. No
one can see whether you have believed or not; but if you come to
God really believing, you will be justified before Him. Nevertheless,
if you believe in your heart but never confess with your mouth,
though justified before God, you will not be delivered from the
world. The people of this world will not acknowledge you as a saved
person. They will still reckon you as one of them, for they have not
witnessed any difference between you and them. On this account the
Bible emphatically states that besides believing with the heart there
must also be confessing with the mouth.
I have seen some people who at first pretended to be Christians

but finally turned out to be true Christians. At first they just feigned
belief, but as they stood up to declare, “I have believed in Jesus,”
they became true believers! Many undecided ones, at the time they
confess, seal their faith in the Lord. This is comparable to cement
which originally is just an easily scattered powder; soon after it is
mixed with water, though, it begins to congeal. Many workers have
had the experience of seeing people’s faith confirmed by saying, “I
believe.” In preaching the gospel, we help people by pushing, not by
pulling. We encourage them to stand up and to confess, “I believe in
the Lord Jesus.” If anyone confesses with his mouth as well as
believes with his heart, he becomes a separated person.
The Advantages of Public Confession
One distinct advantage of publicly confessing the Lord lies in

saving the new believer from many, many future troubles. If he does
not open his mouth and say that he has followed the Lord Jesus and
is now the Lord’s, he will always be considered by the world to be
one of them. Consequently, whenever they decide to engage in
social, sinful, or carnal affairs, they will count him in. For example,
PUBLIC CONFESSION 9
when they want to play cards or go to the theater, they will ask him
to join them. Why? Because they number him among them. He may
sense in his heart that since he is a Christian he should not mix with
them, yet he cannot refuse for he desires to please them. Even should
he refuse once, undoubtedly he will be asked the second time. Each
time he may think of some excuse; yet the problem remains
unsettled. How much better it would be if he unfurled the flag on the
very first day and confessed that he is a believer. After confessing
once or twice, the inroads of the world will be cut.
If a new believer fails to open his mouth and confess the Lord, as
a secret Christian he will have ten times as many troubles as an open
Christian. His temptations will also be ten times more. He will not be
able to free himself from the bondage of human affection and past
relationships. He cannot excuse himself every time something comes
up by saying he has a headache or is busy. It would be absurd to
offer an excuse every time. But if he were to show the flag on the
very first day, declaring that formerly he was a sinner but that now
he has received the Lord Jesus, all his colleagues, schoolmates,
friends and relatives would realize what kind of a person he now is
and would not bother him any more. To confess the Lord saves from
many troubles.
The Dilemma of Not Confessing
If one fails to confess the Lord, he will be in a wretched plight.

Many of those people who believed in the Lord during His earthly
days had just such a painful experience. As we know, the Lord Jesus
was rejected by the Jews. This rejection was total and the persecution
suffered was severe. According to John 9, the Jews agreed that if any
man should confess Jesus to be Christ, he should be put out of the
synagogue (v. 22). In John 12 it is recorded that many of the Jews
believed on the Lord Jesus but did not confess this lest they should
be put out of the synagogue (v. 42). They believed secretly but dared
not to confess it.
Do you think they could have been at peace about it? No, for
though to have confessed the Lord might not have been easy, to not
confess Him must have made them even more ill at ease. What kind
of a place was the Jewish synagogue? It was where the Jews gathered
to oppose the Lord Jesus. It was there that they plotted and conspired
to ensnare Him. How could those who truly believed sit among
people who schemed against the Lord? With what restraint must they
have kept their mouths shut! To speak out was difficult, but to be
dumb was not less hard.
This scene in the Jewish synagogue may today be expanded to

cover the whole world. People are still questioning and resisting the
Lord. They regard Jesus of Nazareth as an enigma. They speak
perversely against Him. Under such a situation, how can one who is
the Lord’s listen to their railings and yet pretend to go along with
them? Though to act is both painful and difficult, yet to not act takes
all the power the person has to restrain himself. Does he not at heart
wish to testify that this man Jesus is the Son of God in whom he has
trusted? How can he help but have the inward desire to say: “This
Man has saved me; whether you believe Him or not, I do believe.”
Alas, many of the rulers among the Jews believed on the Lord
Jesus but dared not open their mouths to confess Him for fear of
being put out of the synagogue (John 12:42-43). Why do you or
anyone else forcibly seal your lips? Is it because you desire to court
the friendship of the world or to solicit the sympathy of your
relatives or to bid for the respect of men or to seek a position in this
world? I often think it would have been much happier for those
Jewish rulers if they had confessed the Lord and been cast out of the
synagogue. If you have not yet trusted in the Lord, nothing disturbing
will happen. But if you are a real believer and yet pretend to be
sympathetic to the world, your conscience will undoubtedly be under
PUBLIC CONFESSION 11
accusation. How can you have peace in your heart when you witness
people sinning while you say with your lips that this is all very
interesting? Let me tell you, this is a most agonizing thing for anyone
to go through.
Suppose we use an illustration. What kind of a person are you if

you can sit among people who speak evilly of your mother and you
pretend to go along with them? This is contrary to human affection.
Likewise, can you keep silent and speak not a word for the Lord who
gave His life to save you? Can you refrain from confessing the Lord
whom you worship and serve? If this is possible for you, then you
are a useless person to the Lord.
Changed Life and Confession
Many new believers, especially those who come from Christian

families, have a mistaken idea. They maintain that to confess with
their mouths is not essential; what really matters is to shine with
good conduct. In other words, their theology is that one’s life must
change, one’s conduct must change; whether his mouth has changed
or not does not really matter. We agree with them that should the life
remain unchanged, it is futile for the mouth to speak. But we
maintain that a changed life without a corresponding confession of
the mouth is also useless. Change in conduct is no substitute for
confession of the mouth.
New believers should seize the first opportunity to stand up and

confess, “I have believed in the Lord Jesus.” We must confess with
our mouths. If we do not, the world may imagine many things about
us. Some may think we have simply been disappointed and hence
have taken a pessimistic attitude. Others may consider us as just
having had enough of the world; they explain us philosophically
without ever touching upon the Lord Jesus. We must therefore stand
up and tell them the real reason. Good conduct can not take the place
of confession with the mouth. Good conduct is necessary, but
confession is also indispensable. No matter how good one’s conduct

is, if he has not spoken out for the Lord, his standing is dubious;
sooner or later he will be drawn into the whirlpool of this world.
In my many years of labor, I have frequently heard people say: if

one’s conduct is good, he does not need to open his mouth; what is
essential is a good life. But such a saying leaves one loophole; true,
no one will speak against one’s good conduct, but neither will
anyone speak against him even when his conduct is bad. If he had
stood up and confessed himself to be Christian, the moment he failed
in his conduct, the world would rise up and accuse him. To insist on
conduct without confession is actually to provide oneself ground for
being poor in conduct and for escaping from being criticized.
Some are afraid to confess the Lord for fear that they may not be
able to persevere to the end. They are afraid they will become
laughingstocks if after three or four years they quit being Christians.
Therefore they would rather wait for a few years; then, after they
have proved themselves worthy, they will confess the Lord. To such
ones we say: if you dare not confess the Lord for the fear of falling,
you surely will fall. Why? Because you have left your back door
open; you have already prepared for the day of your fall. It is far
better if you stand up and confess that you are the Lord’s, for this
will shut the back door and make it harder for you to back out. You
will then have a better chance to advance rather than to retreat. You
can expect to go forward.
Should one wait for better conduct before he confesses the Lord,
most probably he will never in his life open his mouth. He will be
dumb even after his conduct is good. It is most difficult to open one’s
mouth if one does not do so at the very beginning.
One fact should comfort us, and that is, God is the God who keeps
us as well as the God who saves us. What is it to be saved? It is like
purchasing something. What is it to be kept? It is like keeping the
thing in hand. Who would ever buy something in order to throw it

away? If you buy a watch for yourself, it is because you are thinking
of using it. You do not buy it that you may throw it out. Likewise,
when God purchases us, it is to keep us. God redeems us in order to
keep us. He will keep us until that day. He so loves us as to give up
His Son for us. Had He not meant to keep us, He would never have
paid such an immense price. Keeping is God’s purpose; keeping is
God’s plan. Do not, therefore, be afraid to rise up and confess. You
do not need to worry about tomorrow, for God will worry for you.
All you need to do is to stand up and confess in simplicity that you
belong to God. Just throw yourself into His hand. He knows when
you need succor and He will comfort and preserve you. We have the
greatest confidence in proclaiming that God keeps those whom He
has saved. Redemption would be meaningless if it were without
preservation.
A Reason for Not Confessing
Why do we not confess the Lord? Other than the reason we have
already mentioned, the fear of not persevering, the most common
reason is the fear of man. Many Christians really do have a desire to
stand up and confess the Lord, but as soon as they look at people’s
faces, they dare not say anything. A look at their parents’
countenances or their friends’ faces makes them hesitant. They are
afraid of man, so they do not have the courage to open their mouths.
Perhaps they are naturally timid. For them to stand up before man
and say, “I have believed in the Lord,” is like taking their life from
them. Such fear is a real hindrance to spiritual life.
“The fear of man bringeth a snare” (Prov. 29:25). As one fears,

one falls into a snare. Fear itself is a snare. It is a self-planted snare,
laid by the fear in the person. Let such a person realize that the one
whom he fears might like to hear what he has to say; and even if he
doesn’t, he may not be as fearful as imagined.
I recall a story: once there were two men who worked in the same
firm. One of the two got saved. Now both men were extremely timid.
The one who got saved dared not tell the other that he was saved,
while the other could not work up enough courage to ask the saved
one what had happened, though he could see the change. They shared
the same table at work. Daily they faced each other. Yet one dared
not tell and the other dared not ask. One day the one who had
believed could stand it no longer. So after much prayer he went to his
friend, took the latter’s hand and said, “I am a most timid person. For
at least three months I have not dared tell you something. Now I am
going to tell you that I have already believed in the Lord Jesus.” His
face turned pale while he spoke. Then his friend answered, “It has
been three months since I wanted to ask you what had happened.”
He who fears man falls into a snare. Let him remember: as he is in

fear of others, probably others are in fear of him too. A new believer
ought not to have the fear of man. All who follow God must be
fearless. If there is fear, one cannot be a good Christian nor can he
serve God. We must be bold in confessing the Lord before men both
in private and in public. From the very start, we must help young
believers to go this way.
Confession Breaks the Sense of Shamefulness
People are not only afraid, they are sometimes shy. I think many
of God’s children have to acknowledge that they have an
unnecessary sense of shamefulness before the world. Why should we
feel shameful in confessing ourselves to be Christians? Such
unreasonableness needs to be completely broken. Let us solve it by
considering two points.
The first point is: when the Lord Jesus was hanged on the cross,
He bore our shame as well as our sins. The Bible clearly teaches that
He was put to shame. He was humiliated by the soldiers at Calvary.
If we suffer disgrace from men, it is our rightful portion. Any
mortification we receive from men today can never be compared

with the shame which our Lord endured on the cross. Let it be no
surprise to us to suffer shame, for this is the portion of all who
belong to the Lord.
The second point is: the world, not us, ought to be ashamed. There
is a poem which runs like this: “Can a flower be ashamed of the sun?
As a flower opens to the sunlight, so will we confess the Lord. The
world, not we, ought to feel ashamed.” Can we be ashamed of
confessing Him who has so graciously saved us? Can we do that—
any more than the flowers can be ashamed of the sun that sustains
them? How can we deny the One who has succored us and led us to
heaven? Do we consider all the grace which He has bestowed upon
us as ignominious? The Lord has done so much for us; is it shameful
to confess Him? No, there is absolutely no possibility of being
ashamed to confess Him.
How true is the poem: the world, not we, ought to feel ashamed.
We too declare that the world is shameful both now and forever.
Today the people of this world live in sin, but, thank God, we have
been separated. They, not we, walk according to the lusts of the
flesh. They are under bondage, while we are free. They do the hidden
things of shame which we renounced. They follow the evil spirit that
works in them, but we are completely delivered. So the shame is
theirs, not ours.
To confess the Lord is nothing to be ashamed of; it is, rather, a

joyous and glorious matter. So far as the future is concerned, they of
the world will suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the
face of the Lord and from the glory of His might. But we who follow
the Lamb shall be with Him forevermore. How wrong it is for people
to heap shame on us. Theirs is the shame, not ours. We should stand
up boldly and proclaim that we gladly and gloriously belong to God.
Why were the rulers in John 12 afraid to confess the Lord?

Because they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God (v.
43). They were bashful because they sought the glory that comes
from men. All who wish to follow the Lord ought neither be afraid
nor bashful. If light is shameful while darkness is glorious, if
holiness is shameful while sinfulness is glorious, if spirituality is
shameful while carnality is glorious, if following the Lord is
shameful while human degradation is glorious, then we would rather
choose to be ashamed. Let us be like Moses, counting the reproach of
Christ greater riches than the glory of men.
Truth Is Absolute
Another point yet to be mentioned is that the synagogue

represented much. Why did so many dare not confess? For the
simple reason that they wished to have both Christ and the
synagogue. If they did not want Christ, all they needed to do was just
to refuse to believe; if they did not desire the synagogue, they could
simply confess the Lord. But should they wish for both, their lips
would be sealed. Wishing for both reveals the lack of absoluteness.
Whether or not we are persecuted by the world after believing, let

us yet thank the Lord. We should not cling to the synagogue like
those rulers of old, daring not to confess that we are believers. Let
me tell you one thing: if everyone in the church were like those
rulers, there would be no Christianity today. The synagogue would
be preserved, but the church would be missing. If Peter and Paul and
Luther had returned home without saying a word about their faith in
the Lord, they no doubt would have had less trouble, but where
would the church be today?
It is a characteristic of the church to boldly confess the Lord as

well as to believe in Him. To be saved means more than believing; it
also includes confessing. Such confession of the Lord is most
important in Christianity. We must speak out or there will be no
Christianity! The Word of God is clear: “For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10). In the church, not one believer but
every believer must walk in this way of confession. We should not
let anyone fall short in this matter. The church will be strong if all are
confessing their faith; otherwise it will be weak.
Our Confession and the Lord’s Confession
“Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, him will I
also confess before my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32). How
we thank the Lord for His confessing us in the future if we confess
Him today. Today, before men who are as the grass of the field, we
confess Him as Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, but on that
day when our Lord shall come back He will confess us before His
Father and before His angels in glory. If we feel it difficult to confess
Him today, will He find it hard to confess us in that day?
“But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny
before my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 10:33). How great is the
contrast! If we find it burdensome to confess before men that we
have a Man who is above all men, a Man who is truly the Son of
Man, how will He confess us before His Father when He shall come
with His angels in glory—us who are so ragged? This indeed is a
serious matter. Please remember that in comparison to His
confessing us one day, our confessing Him is not at all difficult. For
Him to confess us is mystifying—for we are but prodigal sons
coming home. We have absolutely nothing in ourselves. Let us, then,
all the more ardently confess Him, since we know that He will one
day confess us.
Peter was a heroic type of person, one who must occupy the first
place among men. He dared to do anything. He was a hero. But on a
certain day, he was as timid as a mouse. In response to a simple
question he lost his courage and dared not confess the Lord. He was
afraid to confess before a slave girl, a person who had no freedom of

her own. What indecency for Peter, a natural hero and leader, to flee
even before a sword had been drawn, to be afraid before anyone even
wanted his life, and to tremble and swear in the presence of a slave
girl! Shame on Peter and shame on him for swearing with a curse.
Shame on all who do not have the courage to open their mouths.
Glory belongs to those who dare to confess the Lord Jesus, whether
through fire or through water. Nothing on earth is more admirable
than such confession. To be scourged, to be thrown into fire, or to be
cast into the lion’s den while still confessing, “I belong to Jesus of
Nazareth”—this is the world’s most glorious sight. It is most
shameful for any believer not to mention the Lord Jesus before men.
Such a person is totally useless. He will even abhor himself and
acknowledge his conduct as most shameful.
It is our sincere hope that young believers will at the outset dare to
confess whose they are. Do not ever try to be a hidden Christian. If
young believers walk well in this way of confession, they will
become useful to God. May God lead us further on.
9
SEPARATED FROM THE WORLD
There are a great number of commands, examples,

and teachings in the Bible concerning the matter of
separation. Since the world has so many facets to it, our
separation needs to be full and complete. There are four
different places in the Bible used to typify the world:
Egypt represents the pleasures of the world; Ur of Chaldea, the
religion of the world; Babylon, the confusion of the world; and
Sodom, the sins of the world. From all of these we need to be
separated.
And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and
he said unto them, Go, serve Jehovah your God; but who are they
that shall go? And Moses said, We will go with our young and
with our old; with our sons and with our daughters, with our
flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast
unto Jehovah. And he said unto them, So be Jehovah with you, as
I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before
you. Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve Jehovah; for that
is what ye desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s
presence.
Ex. 10:8-11
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand toward
heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even
darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand
toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of
Egypt three days; they saw not one another, neither rose any one
from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had
light in their dwellings. And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and
said, Go ye, serve Jehovah; only let your flocks and your herds be
stayed: let your little ones also go with you. And Moses said,
Thou must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt-offerings,
that we may sacrifice unto Jehovah our God. Our cattle also shall
go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind; for thereof must
we take to serve Jehovah our God; and we know not with what we
must serve Jehovah, until we come thither.
Ex. 10:21-26
And ye shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same
month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel
shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on the
lintel, upon the houses wherein they shall eat it. And they shall
eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread;
with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor boiled at
all with water, but roast with fire; its head with its legs and with
the inwards thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the
morning; but that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall
burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it: with your loins girded,
your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall
eat it in haste: it is Jehovah’s Passover.
Ex. 12:6-11
And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth,
about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, besides
children. And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and
flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. And they baked
unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of
Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of
Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for
themselves any victuals. Now the time that the children of Israel
dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to
pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years, even the
selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of Jehovah went
out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed unto
Jehovah for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that
night of Jehovah, to be much observed of all the children of Israel
throughout their generations.
Ex. 12:37-42
Wherefore
Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord,
And touch no unclean thing;
And I will receive you.
2 Cor. 6:17
SEPARATED FROM THE WORLD 21
Meaning of Redemption Typified by the Exodus from Egypt
When the Israelites were in the hand of the destroyer, how did
God deliver them? It was by the paschal lamb. At the time the angel
of God went through the land of Egypt to smite the first-born, he
passed over those houses which had blood on them. If there were no
blood on the door, he went in and smote the first-born. Thus, the
whole question of salvation does not depend on whether or not the
door is good, the doorposts are special, the household is
commendable, or the first-born is obedient. It rather hinges on
whether there is blood. The difference between salvation and
perdition is determined by acceptance or rejection of the blood. The
basis for your salvation is not in what you or your family are, but in
the blood.
We who are saved by grace are redeemed by the blood. Let us

remember, however, that once we have been redeemed by the blood,
we must start to make our exit. The Israelites killed the lamb before
midnight and, after they had put the blood on the doorposts and the
lintel, they hurriedly ate their meal. As they ate, they had their loins
girded, their shoes on their feet and their staves in their hands, for
they were ready to go out of Egypt.
The first effect of redemption, therefore, is separation. God never

redeems anyone and leaves him in the world to live on as before.
Every regenerated person, as soon as he is saved, needs to take his
staff in his hand and start to make his exit. As soon as the angel of
destruction separates between those who are saved and those who are
perishing, the saved souls must go out. This is most clearly typified
in Exodus. A staff is used for journeying; no one uses it as a pillow
for lying down. All the redeemed, both big and small, must take their
staves and move out that very same night. Whenever souls are
redeemed by the blood, they become pilgrims and strangers in this
world. The moment they are redeemed, they leave Egypt and are
separated from the world. They ought not continue to abide there.
Once a sister in the Lord was teaching the children. She told them
the story of the rich man and Lazarus. She put a question to these
youngsters: “Whom would you choose to be—Lazarus or the rich
man? The rich man enjoys life today but suffers later on, while
Lazarus suffers now but has enjoyment hereafter.” A little girl about
eight years old stood up and answered: “When alive I want to be the
rich man, but after death I want to be Lazarus.” Many today are like
that little girl. When I am in need of salvation, I trust in the blood of
the Lamb; but after I am saved, I prefer to stay put in Egypt. I want
both.
Nonetheless, we must remember that to be redeemed by the blood

is to be delivered from the world. Once redeemed, instantly we
become pilgrims and sojourners on earth. This does not imply that
we no longer live on earth; it simply means we are instantaneously
separated from the world. Wherever there is redemption, there is
separation. The blood divides the living and the dead; the blood
separates God’s children from the people of the world. The redeemed
are no longer permanent residents of this world.
It does not take several years for the redeemed to be separated. On

the very same night that one is redeemed, he is separated from the
world. No one can boast that after several days’ deliberation he
decided to come out of the world. If he is a Christian, he belongs to
the Lord and ought to leave Egypt (the world) immediately.
From the way the Israelites left Egypt, we can see how difficult it
was for them to make their exit, for Egypt held on to them. Even
after Pharaoh agreed to let them go, he demanded that only the men
should go, that the little ones and the old ones should remain behind.
How could the men go far if their little ones and old folks stayed
behind in Egypt? No doubt the men would soon return. The wile of
Satan was to prevent a thorough and total separation from Egypt.
Moses therefore rejected such contrivance from the very outset. Let
us remember, if we leave one thing or one person behind, we will not

be able to go very far but will eventually return to the world.
We recall that the above demand was not the only one Pharaoh
made of the Israelites. Earlier he called for Moses and said, “Go ye,
sacrifice to your God in the land” (Ex. 8:25); that is, worship God in
Egypt, do not go into the wilderness. Later on, he tried to persuade
the people of God not to go very far away (8:28). Still later, he asked
that only the men go but that the little ones and the old ones remain
behind (10:11). And lastly, he conceded to let the little ones go but
insisted that the flocks and herds stay (10:24). The basic thinking of
Pharaoh was that if they must be God’s people, let them be His
people in Egypt. He knew very well that they could not have a good
testimony by serving God in Egypt. Those who served God in Egypt
would also serve Pharaoh. They would be Satan’s servants as well as
God’s.
Do you desire to serve God and remain in the world? You will
without doubt be Satan’s servant and make bricks for him. He will
not let you go, nor will he allow you to go far away. He may permit
the men to go but keep the rest in Egypt, for he knows they will
come back. He is fully acquainted with the teaching in Matthew
6:21: “For where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.” The
treasure and the person are always together. He is certain that you
will not go far if your flocks and herds are left behind. Soon you will
come seeking the flocks and the herds. But God wants the flocks and
the herds to go with you. Your wealth, your money, must also be
delivered with you.
When we go out to the wilderness, we must bring all our property

with us. God’s command is clear: we who serve God must be
separated from the world.
Our Way Is in the Wilderness
To confess the Lord Jesus with our mouth alone is not enough; we
must also come out of the world and be separated. This is a step
further than confession. Certainly we should not be silent Christians,
but words alone are insufficient. We must be separated people. We
need to see and to treasure the new position we now have in the
Lord; we must leave our former position far behind. We cannot
maintain our former friendships, affections, and relationships. We
must go out with all our things. People may consider us foolish, but
we must go out of the world. Since we have become Christians, our
way lies in the wilderness, not in Egypt.
According to the New Testament sense, both Egypt and the

wilderness represent the world. Egypt, however, points to the world
in its moral sense while the wilderness speaks of the world in its
physical sense. We Christians are in the physical world but not in the
moral world. The world, as we know it, is a system as well as a
place. Egypt stands for the system in which there are so many
attractive things to draw out the lusts of the eyes, the lusts of the
flesh, and the pride of life. The wilderness symbolizes the place in
which we live.
We Christians must come out of the world as a system. To be

separated from the world means to be separated from this world
system in its moral connotation. It does not imply leaving the world
as a place.
D. M. Panton has a well-spoken word concerning our walk in the

wilderness. He says: in life, it is a way; in death, it is a tomb. No one
can remain in this world too long, for it is only a way. It also serves
as a grave when one dies. This should be our attitude towards the
world. Every believer must be separated. In the eyes of the people of
this world, we are but strangers and sojourners in the wilderness;
they alone are the permanent residents of the world.
Let me use an illustration to show the meaning of separation.

During the latter part of my stay in England, shortly before the
Munich Pact was signed under the appeasement policy of Prime
Minister Chamberlain, I noticed people busily preparing for war by
digging trenches, constructing airfields, building shelters and even
distributing masks for poisonous gas. My feeling at that time was
entirely different from that of the Englishmen. I watched them
prepare for war; I saw them collect contributions and train their home
guards. Then one night the telegram came saying that the pact was
signed and there was no need to fear war. Many could not sleep that
night. They sang and they shouted. But what was my reaction? Three
words sum up my feeling: I watched coldly. While they had been
busily preparing for war, I had watched coldly; now when they were
joyous with peace, I watched coldly. Why? Because I was a
sojourner, I would soon go away. Since I was but a traveler in
England, my feeling was totally different from that of the
Englishmen. In their joy and in their sorrow, I was merely an
observer. Thus it was I truly realized what it meant to be an alien.
Although we have not yet left this world as a place, we have

already departed from it as a system. Morally speaking, we do not
belong. Unless we can look back at the world as having left it, we are
wrong. Unless we can observe it coldly, we have fallen. If we cannot
adopt a spectator’s attitude towards all the things and all the
relationships in the world, we have failed as Christians. It shows that
we are still in it and have yet to come out.
While I was in England I naturally hoped for peace, but I was not
disturbed by the rumors of war. I too hoped there would be no
bombing, but was not greatly concerned. Once I told a brother, “God
saved me to be a Christian, not an Englishman.” I could not help
feeling that way for God had saved me to be a Christian. My attitude
towards England was neutral: I hoped for her good, I wished her
peace; but my interests lay elsewhere.
Young believers should see that, as Peter and other apostles put it,
we are but sojourners and pilgrims on this earth. We have already
come out of the world system. Those of the world wish to retain us,
draw us closer to them, keep us and our possessions back, but we
cannot serve God if we yield at any one point.
Henceforth let our faces turn towards the promised land. We are
separated from Egypt. The blood makes the separation, for the blood
has redeemed us to God. Those unredeemed by the blood are the
Egyptians. The unredeemed belong to the world, but the redeemed
have become citizens of another world.
Suppose you go to a store to buy a watch. After buying, you leave

with it. You do not give the watch to the storekeeper and ask him to
use it. No, you buy it and you leave with it. Where there is buying,
there is leaving. Do remember that the blood has bought us that we
may leave the world system. Everyone who is bought by the blood
leaves. We are bought to follow the Lord and to travel towards the
promised land.
Principles Governing Separation
Some probably will ask: from what should we come out? What
are the things of the world? Wherein must we be separated from the
world? We shall suggest five principles of separation. But before
going into these principles, there is one thing needed first: we need to
have our heart and spirit released from the world first. If anyone still
desires to be in the world, these principles will be of no avail to him.
Even if he separates himself from a hundred things, he is yet in the
world. Separation of the person with his heart and his spirit must
precede the separation of things.
The man must completely come out of Egypt and be separated

from the world. Do not be afraid to be called peculiar. There are
things we have to deal with and there are ways in which we ought to
be different from the world, even though we desire to be at peace

with all men. In our homes, in the office, or wherever we may be, we
contend not. We are not belligerent to anyone. But still there are a
few things from which we must be separated.
1. THINGS WHICH THE WORLD CONSIDERS UNWORTHY OF A

CHRISTIAN
We must be separated from anything the world considers

unworthy of a Christian. We start our Christian life before the world
and the world sets up certain standards for Christians. If we cannot
measure up to their standards, where will our testimony be? Of the
things which we do, we should never permit non-believers to raise
their eyebrows saying, “Do Christians do such things too?” Under
such an accusation, our testimony before them is finished. For
example: Suppose you visit a certain place and meet a non-Christian
there. He murmurs, “Do you Christians visit this place?” There are
many places non-believers may frequent and be quite able to defend
their action when questioned. But if a Christian should go to those
same places, immediately they will raise an objection. They may sin,
but you cannot. They may do it without any problem, but if you do
the same thing you will be criticized. Consequently, whatever the
world condemns as unworthy of a Christian, we must not do. This is
a minimum requirement.
I know of many sons and daughters who have non-believing

parents. If they ask their parents for this and that thing, I have heard
the parents say, “Since you have believed in the Lord Jesus, do you
still ask for these things?” Let me tell you; to be corrected by the
non-believing world is disgraceful for Christians. Abraham was
reproved by Abimelech for his lie. This is one of the most shameful
things recorded in the Bible. Non-believers may lie, but do we lie
also? Things which the Egyptians consider as unworthy of us we
must be separated from.
2. THINGS WHICH ARE INCONSISTENT TO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH

THE LORD
Anything which is inconsistent to our relationship with the Lord

must be rejected. Our Lord was humiliated on earth; can we seek for
glory? He was crucified as a robber; can we court the favor of this
world? He was slandered as possessed of a demon; can we look for
praise from men that we are most clever and rational? Such
conditions reveal the inconsistency of our relationship with the Lord.
They make us different from the Lord, even contrary to Him. All the
ways which He has gone we also must walk through. For this cause
we must eradicate everything that is inconsistent to our relationship
with the Lord.
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord”
(Matt. 10:24), says the Lord. This refers to our relationship with the
world, showing how we must suffer slander and reproach. If they
treated our Lord that way, can we expect to be treated differently? If
this is the way they dealt with our teacher, can we hope for anything
different? If we are treated differently, something must be drastically
wrong in our relationship with the Lord. Let us be careful that along
with other children of God, we walk together in the way of the Lord.
Whatever conditions our Lord faced on this earth, we must also
follow.
All who follow Jesus of Nazareth should be prepared for disgrace,

not for glory. Whoever follows Him must be ready to bear the cross.
The first time people meet the Lord, they do not hear Him say,
“Behold, how glorious it is!” Rather they hear Him say, “If any man
would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). He speaks these words at the gate of
entrance, not in the inner chamber. He has forewarned us that He
calls us to bear the cross. This is our way, the only way to follow the
Lord. His relationship to the world is our relationship to the world.
We must keep our oneness with the Lord.
“But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, through which the world has been crucified unto me, and I
unto the world” (Gal. 6:14). The cross stands between the world and
the Lord. By the cross, we stand on the Lord’s side. On one side is
the Lord, on the other side is the world; standing in between is the
cross. Our attitude towards the world is defined by the cross. The
world has given the cross to our Lord, so it stands on the other side.
Since we are on the Lord’s side, we cannot go over to the world
except through the cross. But the cross cannot be passed over, for it
is an accomplished fact, a matter of history. We are not able to
eliminate fact or cancel history. The world has crucified our Lord on
the cross; how can we bypass the cross? Since the cross is a fact, to
us the world being crucified on it will always be a fact. If there is no
way to dismiss the cross, there can be no possibility of abolishing the
fact that the world has been crucified. Unless we are able to delete
the cross, we cannot go over to the other side, the world side. Thank
God, we are on this side of the cross.
To illustrate: if a man’s father or mother or brother is murdered,

he will refuse to come to terms with his foe. His dear one has been
killed, so what ground is there left for talking? Before the killing, the
whole thing was open for discussion; but after the killing, there is
nothing to be talked about. Likewise, the cross has now become
factual. What more can we say? The world has crucified our Lord on
the cross, so we now stand on the Lord’s side and declare that so far
as the world is concerned, we are crucified and as far as we are
concerned, the world is crucified. Today there can be no
communication between the two. The world cannot cross over to our
side, nor can we cross over to the world.
Having seen the cross, we glory in it. Through the cross “the
world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal. 6:14).
These two stand on opposite sides. Whatever men may say, the cross
is an historical fact. It cannot be changed. The Christians are on one
side, the world is on the other side, and the cross is in between. When
we open our eyes, we see the cross, not the world. If ever we see the
world, we see the cross first. We can retort with anger even as the
one whose father or mother or brother was killed, and say, there is
nothing to talk about.
Young Christians must be brought to see that the Lord’s position

is also theirs. Frequently they ask: will I touch the world if I do such
and such? Can I do this or can I do that? It is very hard for us to
explain everything to them, but we can give them a principle. We can
tell them that even as the world and the cross are opposite to each
other, so are the world and our Lord. If they go to the Lord with an
open and tender heart, they will clearly see the difference in these
two sides.
What is the world? What is not the world? You will know when
you come to the Lord. You need only ask one question: how was this
thing related to the Lord Jesus while He was on earth? What was the
relationship of the Lord to the people of the world? If your
relationship is not different from Christ’s, it is good. But if your
position differs from His, it is wrong. We are followers of the Lamb
who has been slain. We follow the Lamb whithersoever He goes
(Rev. 14:4). We stand together with the Lamb in His slain position.
Whatever does not stand in that position, whatever is contrary to the
Lord’s position, is the world from which we must be separated.
3. THINGS WHICH QUENCH SPIRITUAL LIFE
Again we ask, “What is the world?” Each and everything which

tends to quench our spiritual life before the Lord is the world. How
impossible it is to tell new believers what things are permissible and
what things are not permissible. If we tell them ten things, they have
the eleventh thing to ask. But if they understand but one principle,
they can apply it to numberless things. Whatsoever thing makes you
lose zeal for prayer or for Bible reading or causes you to lose courage
to testify is the world.
The world creates a kind of atmosphere which cools our love to

the Lord. It withers our spiritual life; it chills our zeal; it freezes our
longing for God. Hence it must be rejected.
Can things which are not sinful be reckoned as things of the

world? Many things rate highly in human estimation; but the
question is, do they help us draw nearer to the Lord? Or will they
quench our spiritual life? Indeed, they may be good things, yet in
doing them several times, our inner fire begins to dwindle; if we
continue in them, the fire soon becomes cold. We find ourselves
unable to confess our sins, to pray and to read the Bible. Though
these worldly things may not have occupied our time, they surely
have occupied our conscience. They have weakened our conscience
before God and given us an unspeakable sense of being wrong. Our
conscience cannot rise above that feeling. It takes away our taste for
the Bible. It makes us feel empty when we wish to testify. It
swallows up our words. No matter how sinless these things are, how
very right they may be, they still must be labeled as the world. All
that which quenches our spiritual life belongs to the world.
4. SOCIAL AFFAIRS WHICH HINDER THE TESTIMONY
Another thing to be mentioned is concerned with social

relationships. Whatever social gatherings or feasts or good times
together cause our lamp to be covered under a bushel are of the
world. These should be rejected. How can Christians continue in
social intercourse if they cannot confess that we are the Lord’s and if
they have to pretend to be polite by listening to and smiling with
unbelievers? How can we suppress our inward feeling and put on a
smiling face? How can we inwardly sense the world, yet show
sympathy outwardly? How can we judge anything sinful, if we
externally agree with it? Many of God’s children have been
gradually drawn back into the world because they failed to
differentiate in their social life.
Beginners in Christ must be clear of their position at the start. The

right choice needs to be made. It is not that we wilfully refrain from
having communication with others. We are not John the Baptists who
eat not and drink not. We follow the Lord in both eating and
drinking. We are not ascetics; we do have dealings with men. But,
we must maintain our position. People must not be allowed to
interfere with our Christian position. They should respect our
position. Though sometimes they may disapprove, they cannot
change it.
When social contacts affect our testimony, we know it is the

world. In our dealings with men, we should be able to manifest our
Christian position. Otherwise, it is better for us to be separated. “Nor
standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers” (Ps.
1:1), says the psalmist. If we walk in the way of sinners, we will soon
be where they are. If we sit with the scoffers, we will quickly be
contaminated with ungodliness. Both sin and ungodliness are highly
contagious; we must flee from them as fleeing from the plague.
5. THINGS WHICH WEAK BELIEVERS CONDEMN
Whatever thing causes the conscience of weak believers to

stumble is to be taken as the world. At the outset we mentioned
things condemned by the world as unworthy of Christians; now we
speak of things condemned by feeble Christians. Notice these are not
things disapproved of by strong Christians; rather they are
reprehended by weak Christians. As a matter of fact, these weak
believers may not be correct in their judgment. What they disapprove
of may be quite all right. Yet they have a weak conscience just as
once we did. How can I stumble them in the things which they
consider wrong? I must walk before them as without any offense.
“All things are lawful for me; but not all things are expedient” (1
Cor. 6:12), says Paul. All things are lawful, for from our standpoint
these things are not of the world, but to feeble Christians they are
things of the world. Consequently we must for their sake refrain from
them.
Paul uses an extreme case to illustrate this point. He says, “If meat
causeth my brother to stumble, I will eat no flesh for evermore, that I
cause not my brother to stumble” (1 Cor. 8:13). It is not easy to
abstain from meat, especially when Paul in his letter to Timothy
writes, “Some shall fall away from the faith . . . to abstain from
meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them
that believe and know the truth” (1 Tim. 4:1, 3). But Paul is willing
to go to extremes. Whether to eat meat or not is a small matter to
him; his followers, though, may not have the same knowledge. He
knows when to stop, but those who follow him may walk a few steps
too far. If he eats meat, they may go to the heathen temple and
partake of meats sacrificed to idols and later fall into idolatry. We
must, therefore, be careful in whatever things feeble Christians
consider as of the world, even if they have no real relationship with
it.
Come Out from the World
“Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate,

saith the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; and I will receive you,
and will be to you a Father, and ye shall be to me sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor. 6:17-18). This is the first time in
the New Testament where the name “the Lord Almighty” is used.
We shall find it later in the book of Revelation. In Hebrews, it is “El
Shaddai.” “El” means God, “Shaddai” has its root in the word which
means a woman’s breast or milk. Hence this name should be
translated as the All-Sufficient God. What a child needs is milk, and
this milk comes from the mother’s breast. So the mother’s breast
supplies all the needs of a child. So is our God.
The Lord as the All-Sufficient God calls us to come out from the
world and touch not the unclean things that He may receive us as
sons and daughters. These are not mere words, for they are supported
by the All-Sufficient God. If we leave all, we shall be empty-handed,
but He will receive us.
Let it be known that all who have been received by the Lord have
been separated from the world. Many do not sense the preciousness
of the Lord because they have not counted all things as refuse.
Negatively speaking, those who do not count all things as refuse
must necessarily look on earthly things as treasures; therefore they
do not know what it means to be received of God. How we need to
know the Father as the All-Sufficient One.
“When my father and my mother forsake me, then Jehovah will

take me up” (Ps. 27:10). Again, “My flesh and my heart faileth; but
God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps. 73:26).
Who can experience such sweetness? Only those who have come out,
who have forfeited all. The blind man who was healed found the
Lord after he was cast out of the synagogue. If we remain in the
synagogue, we will not meet the Lord. If we are driven out, we shall
have the blessing of the Lord upon us. How precious this is! Come
out, therefore, and taste the sweetness of the Lord!
10
THE ELIMINATION OF
DISTINCTIONS
After having confessed the Lord before

men and having been separated from the
world, new believers should be shown that
all believers are one in the body of Christ. We may call this the
elimination of distinctions.
“For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body whether
Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of
one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13). The word “whether” implies that all
distinctions have been eliminated. In the body of Christ, there can be
no earthly discriminations. We are all baptized in one Spirit to be one
body, and then we are all made to drink of one Spirit.
“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on

Christ. There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond
nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one in Christ
Jesus” (Gal. 3:27-28). Those in Christ are those who have clothed
themselves with Christ. The natural distinctions of Jew and Greek,
bond and free, male and female have been abolished.
“And have put on the new man that is being renewed unto
knowledge after the image of him that created him: where there
cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision,
barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all”
(Col. 3:10-11). Again, it tells us that natural distinctions no longer
exist among believers, for we have become one new man who is
created after the image of God. In this new man, all the differences of
Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian and
Scythian, bondman and freeman have disappeared, for Christ is all
and in all.
Having read these three passages of the Bible, we can readily see
that all believers are one in Christ. Each and every natural distinction
is abrogated. This is a foundational matter for the building up of the
church. If we were to bring all these worldly distinctions into the
church, we would find that the relationship among brothers and
sisters could never be properly adjusted and that the church could not
be established before God.
Of the distinctions mentioned in these passages, there are five

contrasts, namely, Greek and Jew, bond and free, male and female,
barbarian and Scythian, and circumcision and uncircumcision.
However, the apostle tells us that in Christ we are one.
The world pays great attention to personal status—to what race do

I belong, what background do I have, and so forth. I must maintain
my honor; I must protect my status. But once we become Christians,
we should exclude all such discriminations. No one should bring his
personal status or position into Christ and the church—the one new
man; to do so would be to bring in the old man. Nothing that belongs
to the old man should ever be carried over into the church.
The Abolishment of National Distinctions
From the viewpoint of the world, national distinctions are the

greatest—“Greek and Jew.” The Jewish race is listed among those
races which have the strongest sense of nationalism. Because they
are the descendants of Abraham, chosen by God to be His peculiar
people, the only nation established by God, a people that dwell alone
and are not reckoned among the nations, they have become very
proud of themselves when they ought to humble themselves before
God and praise His name. They brag of their being God’s people,
separated from all the nations. Because of such pride, their
nationalism is much stronger than that of many nations. How they
despise the Gentiles.
THE ELIMINATION OF DISTINCTIONS 37
Because of this, it was rather difficult for the Gentiles to be fellow

Christians with the Jews. Read the book of Acts and soon you will
realize how true the above statement is. On the day of Pentecost the
gospel was first preached to the Jews, many of whom accepted the
truth of the death and resurrection of the Lord. There was no trouble
about preaching to the Jews. Later on in Samaria, many Samaritans,
who, at least were partially Jewish, were saved through the preaching
of the gospel. But for the gospel to be proclaimed among the
Gentiles, God had to raise up a special vessel in the person of Paul.
Even this did not start abruptly in Antioch, for Peter first started in
Caesarea. But being an apostle to the Jews, it was hard to get Peter to
go to the Gentiles. God had to give him a vision from heaven thrice,
and three times was he charged to rise up, kill, and eat. Without such
a vision he would not dare go into the midst of the Gentiles. This was
the very first time the gospel was preached to the Gentiles. How
reluctant the Jews were to go to the Gentiles with the gospel.
Then in Acts 15 the question of circumcision and of keeping the

Mosaic law was raised. Some advocated strongly that the Gentiles
who had believed in the Lord Jesus should be circumcised and
should also keep the law. In other words, they should be Jews as well
as Christians; repentance was not only unto being Christians but also
unto becoming Jews. How unbreakable was their national concept.
Thank God, it was decided in the council at Jerusalem that the
Gentiles were not obligated to keep the Mosaic law nor to be
circumcised. Paul and Barnabas were free to go to the Gentiles, and
thus their fellowship with those in Jerusalem remained intact.
Even after the way for preaching the gospel to the Gentiles was
cleared, trouble again arose in Galatians 2 when Peter came to
Antioch. At first Peter ate with the Gentiles; but when certain people
came from James, he drew back and separated himself, fearing them
that were of the circumcision. Paul therefore openly resisted him, for
Peter did not walk according to the truth of the gospel. The cross had
broken down the middle wall of partition so that now there was
neither Jew nor Gentile.
May God graciously open the eyes of young believers to see that
no matter whether they were originally Jews or Gentiles, they are
now one in Christ. All their national limitations have been broken;
national distinctions simply no longer exist. Whether some are
American believers, some English believers, some Indian believers,
some Japanese believers, or some Chinese believers, they are all
brothers and sisters in the Lord. No one can divide them as God’s
children. We cannot have American Christianity; if we insist on
having America, we cannot have Christ. These two are contrary to
each other. In Christ, we are all brothers and sisters. It is but natural
that no national boundary can exist. The body of Christ is the one
new man, completely one, without any national distinctions. Even
strong nationalism, such as the Jews had, must be broken in Christ.
Whenever we meet a person in Christ, we should no longer label

him as a Chinese or an American, for we are all one in Christ. It is a
mistake of the gravest consequence to try to establish a Chinese
church or to set up an American testimony. In Christ there is neither
Jew nor Gentile. To attempt to bring outside things such as national
differences into the church, will completely destroy the things within.
In Christ all are coordinated together without any discrimination. The
moment distinctions are brought in, the body of Christ is changed
into a carnal institution.
Americans are governed by the law of their country. But this

national distinction does not apply to our relationship in Christ.
Every time we come to the Lord, we come not as Americans or as
Chinese but as Christians. We can never approach the Lord on the
ground of our nationality. These outside things must be shut out, for
we are united by the life of Christ. What we receive is the life of
Christ, and this is also what our brethren in England, India and Japan
receive. In this life we are united; never on the basis of nationality.
A story we know illustrates this well: after the first world war,
some brothers from England went to Germany to attend a
conference. One of the brothers in Germany arose to introduce the
visitors by saying: “Now that the war is over, we have some English
brothers visiting us, to whom we extend our warmest welcome.”
Among those thus introduced, one stood up and replied: “We are not
English brothers, but brothers from England.” How well spoken were
those words! We cannot have English brothers, American brothers,
French sisters, or Italian sisters. We only have brothers from
England, America, France or Italy. In Christ there is neither national
distinction nor even provincial difference. In the church there is only
Christ, for Christ is all in all. Apart from Christ, there is nothing.
How glorious this is!
The Elimination of Class Differences
Class relationship is another difficult human relationship. We do

not come across national relationships until we meet an alien, but we
are confronted with class relationships every day. The apostle
mentions that the bond and the free are also eliminated in Christ.
People today may not appreciate the cruelty of class differences.

At the time when Paul wrote his letters under the reign of the Roman
Empire, the system of slavery was at its worst. There were human
markets as well as markets for cattle and for sheep. Many captives of
war were sold at the market; children born of slaves were also
auctioned in the human exchange. There was a tremendous
difference between the free and the bond.
Although the idea of democracy originated in Rome and civil

rights, elections, and voting were first practiced there, only freemen
could exercise these rights of citizenship; slaves had no such
privilege. If a slave were beaten to death, his life was repaid with
money to his master, the same as if cattle were killed. Since he had
no civil rights, he was not recompensed by a life for a life. This class
difference far surpassed the differences today between master and

servant, employer and employee, or boss and subordinate. Children
born to slaves automatically became slaves and were considered to
be the master’s property. All slave fugitives could be punished by
crucifixion. Yet the Word of God declares that all class differences
must be eliminated in Christ.
Suppose Philemon brought Onesimus to the meeting. When they

were at home, Onesimus was a servant and Philemon was his master.
But when they went to the church, Onesimus was a brother to
Philemon, not his servant. The relationship of master and slave does
not exist in the church. Even at home when they knelt down to pray,
they were brothers; but when they stood up, Onesimus was a slave
serving his master, Philemon. So in the new man—that is, in Christ
and in the church—all class relationships are nullified. There should
not be any consciousness of class difference nor any sense of class
struggle.
Assume that you belong to the servant class or that you are an
employee or subordinate. In the home or in the office, you should
keep your place and learn to listen and obey. But when you and your
master or employer or boss come together before God, you do not
need to listen to him on the basis of his being your superior. In
spiritual matters such class differences do not enter in.
The apostle James condemned strongly the practice of class

difference. “For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold
ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile
clothing; and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing,
and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man,
Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool; do ye not make
distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil
thoughts?” (James 2:2-4). As soon as we come to the church and
begin to have fellowship with God’s children, we must stand on the
ground of Christ, of the new man, of the body, and not of class
difference.
This elimination of class differences is only possible among

Christians. Only Christians can thoroughly carry this out. We
Christians can shake one another’s hand and declare that we are
brothers. We have the love that overcomes differences. In the world,
one class tries to overthrow another class, thus raising themselves to
a higher class. But we who are in Christ are able to eliminate class
discrimination completely. That hard-to-be-broken class difference
of freeman and slave must be totally shattered. We fellowship with
other brothers and sisters on the sole ground of what the Lord has
given to us—His life. Thus shall we receive great blessing from God.
Such a church will be full of the love of Christ, and we will be those
who minister Christ to one another.
The Exclusion of National Characteristics
The phrase “Jews and Greeks” has in it one more contrast. The
Jews represent a highly religious race, while the Greeks stand for
philosophy and wisdom. The Jews are historically connected with
religion, the Greeks with philosophy. All the basic sciences and
philosophies come from the Greeks. Hence scientific terms are
usually in Greek. Such are the differences in national characteristics.
To use another illustration: people living in warmer climates are

often more warm in temperament while those from colder climates
are usually more cool in nature. Southerners (in the northern
hemisphere) are comparatively more emotional and northerners more
severe. These are regional characteristics. Let us remember, however,
that northerners can be Christians just as well as southerners. Both
Jews and Greeks can become Christians. Those who are full of
wisdom can be Christians and so can those who are a very religious
people. As far as national characteristics go, being religious or being
rational are totally different. The scientific knowledge represented by
the Greeks stresses the idea of rationalization, whereas religion

emphasizes the intuition of the conscience—an entirely different
concept.
Nonetheless, in Christ there is no distinction between Jews and

Greeks. No one can claim he is a Christian because he is rational and
logical about things. Nor can one who follows his conscience
exclusively be less Christian than the rational one. According to the
flesh, these two persons are totally different. One walks by his huge
mind; the other walks by feeling. But there is neither Jew nor Greek
in Christ. Not only national differences are abolished; even national
characteristics are excluded. One may be a Christian with a cool and
severe attitude or he may be one in a warm and emotional way. The
one who depends on rationalization can be a Christian; so can the
other who lives by inward feeling. All kinds of people can be
Christians.
Yet, when anyone becomes a Christian, he must leave his national

characteristics outside the church for there is no such thing in the
church. Today there are problems in many churches caused by the
intrusion of national peculiarities. Those who are talkative group
together; so do those who dislike talking. The cool gather together
and the warm do likewise. Thus there exist many differences among
God’s children.
Please remember: national characteristics have no place in the

church, in the new man, in Christ. Do not judge others because they
have a different temperament. They will judge you in the same way
if you do. You may wonder why they are so cold when you talk to
them so warmly. Perhaps, though, they are suffering at the same time
with your peculiarity.
A new believer therefore must learn to let his temperament remain

outside the door of the church, for it does not belong inside.
Otherwise he will create lots of unnecessary criticism. All those
natural things which he brings in will in turn become the source of

criticism, confusion and division. He will divide the brethren. He will
set himself up as the standard. All who meet his standards are good
Christians, whereas the rest are not. As he brings in his temperament
and his characteristics, he also brings confusion to the church.
Neither his coolness nor his warmth is good; neither his
rationalization nor his feeling is good—all these are differences
which exist outside of Christ, differences represented by the Jews
and the Greeks. None should be brought into the church.
Many who come into the church affirm that they are such-and-
such naturally. They say it rather proudly. But they should be told
that the church does not need their natural selves. They ought not to
bring their old selves to the church, for it is not in Christ and it tends
to divide.
Consequently, we must reject everything that belongs to the old

man. Only thus can we go on with all the children of God.
The Dismissal of Cultural Divergences
There is a contrast in Colossians 3:11, that of barbarian and

Scythian, which puzzles commentators. A barbarian is a man in a
rude, uncivilized state; sometimes specifically one in a state between
savagery and civilization (Webster). But what a Scythian is, is a
mystery. Some consider him as more barbarous than the barbarian,
for the savageness of the Scythians is proverbial (J. B. Lightfoot);
while others, such as B. F. Westcott, reflect that since in the classics
the Scythians are often mentioned together with the Galatians, they
must be a very respectable people.∗ Whatever interpretation we may
personally accept, the point is that certain places are known for their
∗
Editor’s note: brother Nee takes the latter view.
specific qualities. The people of Foochow∗ are famed for their

inability to do business and for claiming bankruptcy, the people of
Shansi (a province in northwest China) are noted for their ability in
money dealings and for the high interest rate they get, and the people
of Shaohsing (a city in Chekiang province) are known as counsellors
and attorneys. Each place is associated with a singular quality.
From the standpoint of culture, some are to be respected and some

are to be despised. In the world this distinction is quite sharp. We
cannot put a typical English gentleman together with an African
savage. This is not a question of class difference but a matter of
cultural disparity. The Englishman may be an employee, a domestic
servant, or a cook, while the African savage may be a king or a tribal
head. The class difference is thus that of an employee contrasted with
a king; culturally, though, they fare quite differently. Each may look
down on the other with some reason. However, Paul tells us that the
distinction between barbarian and Scythian is annulled.
Once I met two Jews with whom I became quite familiar. So I

asked them candidly why were the Jews opposed by so many people
in the world. One of them answered, “It is because our Jewish culture
is inferior to others.” Not knowing exactly his meaning, I further
asked him to explain. Now this friend had quite a high social
standing. He said, “I am an American Jew. As an American I
honestly hate the Jews because our Jewish culture is too crude.” This,
in fact, illustrates how the Scythians despise the barbarians. My
friend continued, “Suppose an American earns two hundred dollars
per month. After paying for his rent and food, he can live
comfortably on what is left.∗∗ He has the habit of polishing his shoes
and changing his shirt daily. He may still save ten dollars or more
each month. But a person who is a Jew would spend only ten dollars
∗
Editor’s note: a city in south China, native place of brother Watchman Nee.
∗∗
Editor’s note: let the reader remember that these messages were spoken in 1948.
and save one hundred and ninety dollars. The American uses one
hundred ninety dollars and keeps only ten dollars, but the Jew thinks
in terms of money saved rather than of cultural achievement. He
figures how he can save money by not polishing his shoes or
changing his shirt daily. He prefers to live in a smaller place so long
as his bank account rises. The Jews despise the Americans because
the latter are so poor; the Americans disdain the Jews because they
live so poorly and dress so carelessly. Culturally these two people are
different; hence all the problems.” Then he concluded with the
remark, “We Jews have money and good brains, but we lack in
culture. Therefore we do not mix well with other people and as a
result we are not welcome.” This was the first time I ever heard such
a thing said in this way.
It is, indeed, most difficult for the culturally high to mix with the
culturally low. This is not a matter of class or of wisdom or wealth
but totally a question of culture. The lack of culture breeds contempt.
From the viewpoint of the Scythian, a barbarian is wanting in
everything—not knowing how to dress, how to eat, and how to live.
But from the eyes of the barbarian, the Scythians are just too
materialistic, paying too much attention to eating and dressing. Their
viewpoints are so opposite that there is bound to be conflict if both
are taken into the church. How can the barbarian and the Scythian be
reconciled to each other if both have such strong opinions?
Suppose one eats with chopsticks while the other uses his hands.
When they dine together, the former feels uncomfortable though he
restrains himself from saying anything at first. He looks upon the
latter as uncivilized. After two days his endurance may reach its limit
and so he begins to pick on the latter. In the meantime, he who eats
with hands may have the same trouble with the one who eats with
chopsticks. He cannot understand why people do not eat naturally but
must eat in such an artificial manner. The difference, therefore, is
great. Neither can claim he is absolutely right. Such is cultural
divergence, a thing of the world, without any foundation in the Lord.
As a matter of fact, cultural divergence does cause lots of trouble,

but we must remember that this too has been deleted in Christ. We
who are in Christ are big men and women. We alone can endure
what the world cannot stand. We make no distinction among
brethren. We do not set ourselves up as being the standard and judge
everyone accordingly. Such a situation simply does not exist in
Christ, in the church, in the one new man. Some brothers may come
from India, some from Africa. Their cultures are greatly different
from ours, but we ask only one question: are they in the Lord? They
too ask only the same question concerning us. If all are in the Lord,
everything is settled. We maintain our contact in the Lord; we love
one another in the Lord. We can endure everything else and refuse to
allow anything to divide us as children of God.
Could we gather all the sophisticated brethren and form a church

with them? Or gather all the simple brethren and form another
church? No, neither of these would be the church. It is true that the
conflict of culture is a very hard matter to endure. Yet it is equally
true that this cultural divergence does not belong in the church. It is
something outside the body of Christ. Never bring it into the church.
Never allow it to become an issue.
On the other hand, we should each one of us be as a Roman when

we are among the Romans; as one under the law to them that are
under the law (see 1 Cor. 9:20-22). We should learn to be under the
same culture as the people among whom we live. If some brothers
come to China from Africa, they should learn how to use chopsticks.
If some of us go to Africa, we too should adapt ourselves to eating
with our hands. We do not want to be different from the local
brethren. We learn their customs if we happen to visit Africa; they
learn ours if they come to visit us. Among the English, let us be as
Englishmen; among the Chinese, as Chinese. Wherever we go, we
become one with the local people. Otherwise, we will hurt their
feelings; we will not be able to gain them. Should the Lord give us
opportunity for contact with people of a different culture, we must
learn to adapt ourselves. In Christ, we are one; therefore, we stand on

this ground of oneness with all God’s children.
No Show of Piety in the Flesh
Another contrast is “circumcision and uncircumcision.” This

speaks of the distinctions in outward signs of piety in the flesh. We
all know that Jews receive circumcision in their flesh. They have the
sign upon them. They profess that they belong to God, that they are
God-fearing, and that they deny the flesh. By this sign in the flesh,
they are confident of having part in God’s covenant.
The Jews lay much stress on circumcision. This is a characteristic

of Judaism. He who is circumcised is included in the covenant of
God; he who is uncircumcised is excluded from God’s covenant. No
one is allowed to marry the uncircumcised. In Acts 15, circumcision
was the focus of discussion, for some of the Jewish believers would
have liked to force circumcision on the Gentiles. The whole book of
Galatians deals with this matter of circumcision. Paul declares that if
he were to preach circumcision, the salvation of the cross would no
longer exist, for people would simply depend on an outward show of
piety in the flesh.
To enlarge on this in its application: I was baptized by immersion

but a certain brother was sprinkled. The Word of God shows that
believers should be immersed. I consider myself as having the sign
of piety in my flesh. The other brother lacks this sign. So I judge him
as being inadequate. Thus I make immersion a cause of distinction. (I
must add, however, that we do not suggest immersion is
unnecessary.)
Another illustration is the matter of head-covering for the sisters,

something spiritual in meaning but physical in symbol. Or consider
the breaking of bread and the laying on of hands, both of which are
rich in spiritual significance yet not without physical expression. All
of these are spiritual things, but if we use these to divide God’s

children, then we downgrade them from spiritual realities into fleshly
signs. They belong to the same category as circumcision.
Let us understand, not misunderstand, our meaning here. We do

not say that baptism, breaking of bread, head-covering, and laying on
of hands are not necessary. What we do say is that no one should
divide God’s children with these things, for in so doing he relegates
them to the flesh—and the flesh always divides. In Christ there is
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision. No sign in the flesh may be
used to differentiate the children of God. We are one in Christ for we
share one life. These outward things are practiced only because they
have corresponding spiritual realities. If any should have the reality
but lack the outward sign, he should not for this reason be separated
from the other children of God. No sign in the flesh should affect our
oneness in Christ. The value of the spiritual reality of our oneness far
exceeds the value of the outward sign.
Paul makes it quite clear that circumcision does not take away the
defilement of the flesh, for it is only aimed at curtailing the activities
of the flesh. What is important is the inward, not the outward things.
If the inward vision is the same, though the outward expression may
be slightly different, no division would be made. In case there is
neither the inward reality nor the outward sign, then the
responsibility is on that person, not on us.
The Suspension of Sex Disparity
The last distinction to be suspended in Christ is the matter of sex.

In church government, male and female have their respective
positions. When the church meets, the man functions differently from
the woman. In the family, husband and wife hold different
responsibilities. But in Christ, there can be no male and female.
Neither the man nor the woman has any peculiar position. Why?
Because Christ is all and is in all. Notice the word “all” used twice.
Christ is both all and in all. Hence, in spiritual life there is absolutely
no way to differentiate between male and female.
No doubt in the realm of service, the sisters sometimes have a

different ministry from that of the brothers. This is due to the
arrangement in the order of authority of this present age; but when
we come to the future age, the arrangement will be different.
However, even today, there can be no difference in Christ. Both the
brother and the sister are saved by the life of the Son of God. Both
become children of God. The word “children” (Greek “teknon”)
makes no distinction between male or female (though according to
its root it is masculine in form).
How, then, are we going to explain 2 Corinthians 6:17-18?

“Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith
the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will
be to you a Father, and ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith
the Lord Almighty.” Take note: the Word does not suggest that due
to our leaving the world we will be born again; instead, it states that
having believed in God we should come out of the world and be
separated from the unclean so that God the Father may receive us as
receiving His sons and daughters. It does not deal with the basic
matter of our being in Christ or with our primary relationship with
God; it touches rather upon our being accepted as His beloved sons
and daughters. It is very personal in approach; that is, if any should
suffer loss for the sake of God, he will find in his distress that God is
his Father and he is a son to God. Whether one is male or female
makes no difference, for God will accept him as son and her as
daughter. So long as one is accepted by God what does it matter? He
is the All-Sufficient God who possesses all things. In forsaking the
world, one is met by God. Herein we have sons and daughters
because this refers to personal relationship, not to that basic
relationship in Christ. In Christ, we are all God’s children. Sex
disparity simply does not exist in Christ.
In Shanghai there was a brother who was a carpenter. Once I

asked him, “Brother, what is the spiritual condition of the brothers in
your place?” He answered, “Are you asking about the male brothers
or the female brothers?” I considered that an excellent expression. He
did not know whether I meant the brothers or the sisters. The male
brothers are brothers, the female brothers are brothers too. In Christ
there is no disparity. How true was his answer for in simplicity he
had uttered the truth of the Scripture. Therefore let new believers
take to heart that when we come to Christ, we have transcended the
relationship of male and female. The disparity of sex is suspended in
Christ.
We are all brothers and sisters. We are each a new creation in

Christ. We are members of the one body. All natural distinctions
have been annulled in Christ. We therefore must shut out of our
hearts any party spirit, any divisive spirit. So shall we advance one
step further.
11
WITNESSING
The Testimony of the Church
A candle that stands alone can easily be

blown out by the wind. Even if it is not
extinguished by the wind, its light will eventually burn out. If we
want to increase and prolong the light, we need to kindle more
candles and to continue to do so. Suppose we kindle ten candles, one
hundred candles, or even one thousand candles; then the light will
continue on. And this is the way it is with the testimony of the
church.
It is pitiful that light and testimony cease with some individuals.

Whereas the church ought to propagate herself from generation to
generation, there are a number of people who have no descendants.
May it not be that the testimony of Jesus terminates in some new
believers. A candle should burn until it is all burned; likewise, a
man’s testimony should continue until his death. If the light of a
candle is to be continued, then the candle needs to kindle another
candle before it is completely burned. By kindling candle after
candle, the light will shine on and on until it covers the whole world.
Such is the testimony of the church.
New believers must learn to witness for the Lord; otherwise the
gospel will terminate with them. You are already saved; you have
life and your light is kindled. But if you do not ignite others before
you are all burned up, then you are really finished. You should bring
many to the Lord lest you see Him empty-handed.
I have said before that if a believer does not open his mouth and
confess the Lord within the first year of his salvation, he probably
will never open his mouth all through his life. Today I want to repeat
this. If a man does not witness for the Lord during the first flush of
his faith, he probably will never witness throughout his life. Unless
the Lord grants him great grace or gives him a mighty revival, he
most likely will never bear witness for the Lord and bring souls to
Christ. What hope is there with young believers if they cannot
witness for the Lord and ignite other people when for the first time
they receive so great a love, so great a Lord, so great a salvation, and
so great an emancipation?
If a new believer does not open his mouth during the first year, he
will hardly be able to open his mouth later on. That is why it is our
responsibility to instruct each and every new believer to start
witnessing during the first or second week of his salvation. We must
be firm in this matter. It may be too late if we wait.
Let us continue with the illustration of the candle. When the Son
of God came to the earth, He kindled a few candles; later He ignited
another candle in Paul. During the two thousand years since then, the
church has continued burning on and on with candle after candle.
Some candles may ignite tens or hundreds of candles. Though the
first candle burns out, the second one continues. Many may even
sacrifice their lives to ignite you; we do not expect to see the light
terminate in you. We expect all new believers to fulfill their duty of
saving souls. Go and witness for the Lord. Bring souls to Christ. Let
the testimony shine on the earth unceasingly.
The Meaning of Witnessing
There are a number of Scripture verses quoted in the following

pages which we would especially like to consider. The first group of
two passages will tell us what it means to witness for the Lord.
“For thou shalt be a witness for him unto all men of what thou
hast seen and heard” (Acts 22:15). The Lord spoke these words to
Paul through Ananias. Whatever you have seen and heard, you shall
witness to all men. So the first foundation of witnessing is seeing and
WITNESSING 53
hearing. You cannot testify what you have not seen or heard. The
advantage Paul had was that unlike other people he personally had
heard and seen the Lord. He witnessed to that which he had seen and
heard.
“And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father hath sent
the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14). This tells us
what witnessing is. We witness to what we have seen. Thank God,
you have recently believed in the Lord. You have met Him, believed
in Him, and received Him. You are now redeemed. Having been set
free from sin and having received forgiveness, you have peace in
you. You know how happy you are after you have believed—a
happiness which you never knew before. Formerly the load of sin
weighed heavily upon you, but today, thank God, this load has rolled
away. So you are a person who has seen and heard. What should you
do now? You should send forth your testimony. This does not mean
you are to be a preacher or to leave your job and be a full-time
worker. It only means you are to witness to your friends and relatives
and acquaintances of that which you have seen and heard. You
should try to bring souls to the Lord.
How to Witness
The above two Scripture passages form a set on the meaning of

witnessing. Now we will turn to another set, a set of four passages
which will tell us very simply what witnessing is.
1. SPEAK IN THE CITY—THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
In John 4 the Samaritan woman met the Lord who then asked her
for water. But after asking, the Lord turned around and offered her
the living water without which no one could really live and be
satisfied. He who drinks of the water of the well will thirst again.
There will at least be as many times of thirstiness as there are times
of drinking. You will never be satisfied, so you have to drink again
and again. What the world can offer may satisfy for a time but sooner
or later thirstiness will return. Only the fountain that springs up from
within can satisfy forever. This inward satisfaction alone can deliver
people from the demand of the world.
After the Lord Jesus showed the Samaritan woman who He was,
the woman left her waterpot—until then something most important to
her—and went into the city and said, “Come, see a man, who told me
all things that ever I did; can this be the Christ?” (v. 29). Here we
have a real example of witnessing.
This woman had been married five times, but she was still
unsatisfied. It was like drinking water; she had to drink again and
again. But on that day the Lord told her that He had living water
which really satisfied. No wonder after she came to know such a
great Savior, she threw away her waterpot and testified in the city.
Her first act was to witness for Christ.
What did she testify? She said, “Here is a man who told me
everything that I ever did” (see v. 39). She had done lots of things;
some known to the public but some unknown. She was afraid to tell
people all that she had done; yet now the Lord had done just that. So
she testified that here was a man who told everything that she ever
had done, things which she herself alone knew. Could this man be
the Christ? Let me tell you: as soon as she saw the Lord, she opened
her mouth. The Bible says, “And from that city many of the
Samaritans believed on him because of the word of the woman, who
testified” (v. 39).
From this we may see one thing: everyone has the need to testify,
to tell his own story. Since the Lord has saved such a big sinner as
you, can you shut your mouth and not testify? The Savior has saved
me; I cannot but open my mouth and confess Him. Though I cannot
explain why, at least I see that this is God, this is Christ, this is God’s
Son, this is God’s appointed Savior. I can also see that I am a sinner
WITNESSING 55
saved by grace. All that is required of me is to express my feeling. I

may not be able to tell what has happened, but you all can see how
greatly I am changed. I do not know how it happened—I, who
formerly considered myself a good man, today see myself as a
sinner. What I did not regard as sin, the Lord has pointed out to me to
be sinful. Now I know what sort of a person I am. I did many things
in the past without anyone’s knowledge; sometimes even I myself
was not aware of what I did. I sinned greatly but I was not conscious
of being sinful. Yet here came a Man who told me all things that I
ever did. He told me that which I did not know as well as that which
I did know. I have to confess that I have touched the Savior. This
One must be Christ who alone can save.
Whoever has seen himself a sinner surely has a testimony to give.

He who has seen the Savior is a good witness. Remember, this
Samaritan woman gave her testimony within an hour after she had
met the Lord. She did it on the first day. She did not wait a few years
until she came back from a revival meeting. No; as soon as she
returned home, she immediately witnessed for the Lord.
It is right for a person soon after he is saved to tell others what he

has seen and understood. There is no need to give a long discourse;
just telling what you know is quite sufficient. One person might say,
“Before I believed in the Lord I could not sleep at night, but now I
am able to sleep. I used to be depressed, but now I feel good no
matter what happens to me.” Another might say, “Formerly I could
not eat, but now I can eat.” All you need to do is tell the fact. You
need not talk about what you do not know.
Brothers and sisters should learn not to say too much. Do not talk
beyond your comprehension, lest you stir up arguments. Set
yourselves as living witnesses among men of what you have
experienced; against this no one can argue.
2. WITNESS AT HOME—THE DEMONIAC

In Mark 5:1-20, we find a man who was terribly possessed by an

unclean spirit. He cut himself with stones, and no man had strength
to tame him. He rent the chains that bound him, and broke the fetters
in pieces. He dwelt in the tombs, and people dared not pass that
place. But the Lord cast the unclean spirit out of that man. He wanted
to follow the Lord, but the Lord bade him, “Go to thy house unto thy
friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee,
and how he had mercy on thee” (v. 19). To tell what great things the
Lord has done for you is witnessing for the Lord.
This demoniac could not live in a house but only dwelt in tombs.
A tomb is a place for the dead, so this living person dwelt in the
place for the dead. When the Lord commanded the unclean spirits to
depart from that man, those unclean spirits “entered into the swine:
and the herd rushed down the steep into the sea, in number about two
thousand; and they were drowned in the sea” (v. 13). What that man
endured of the demoniac power was unendurable to the two thousand
swine. No wonder he cut himself with stones, for who can fall into
the hands of demons and not cut himself! In the case of the
Samaritan woman we see a person who sought the pleasures of the
world, but in this case we witness a fierce person. The Lord saved
him and sent him home to tell his relatives what great things the Lord
had done for him and what mercy the Lord had shown him.
When you receive grace, you ought to let your family, your
neighbors, and your relatives know that you are now a saved person.
Tell them what great things the Lord has done for you as well as how
you have believed in Him. Tell them the fact and truthfully witness
to them. Thus you will ignite other people and let the salvation of the
Lord continue on.
3. PROCLAIM IN THE SYNAGOGUES—SAUL
“And he was certain days with the disciples that were at

Damascus. And straightway in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus,
WITNESSING 57
that he is the Son of God. And all that heard him were amazed, and
said, Is not this he that in Jerusalem made havoc of them that called
on this name? and he had come hither for this intent, that he might
bring them bound before the chief priests” (Acts 9:19b-21). The
word “straightway” is quite emphatic in the Greek.
The apostle John tells us that whoever believes Jesus to be the Son
of God is begotten of God. Saul was instantaneously saved after he
met the light. But when he was brought to the city of Damascus, his
eyes could not see and he was very weak physically. After he was
baptized by Ananias, he took food and was strengthened. A few days
later he straightway proclaimed in the synagogues that Jesus is the
Son of God. There was a very definite problem involved in Saul’s
taking this step, for he was one of the members of the Sanhedrin. The
Jewish Sanhedrin was composed of seventy members and he was one
of them. He had taken with him from Jerusalem letters from the chief
priest to bind all those who believed on the Lord Jesus and to send
them to the chief priest. Now that he himself had accepted the Lord
Jesus, what ought he to do? Formerly he came to bind those who
accepted the Lord; now he himself was subject to being bound. But
instead of fleeing for his life, he entered the synagogues and proved
to the people that Jesus is the Son of God.
So the first thing a person should do after receiving the Lord is to

witness for the Lord. As soon as Saul’s eyes were healed, he seized
the first opportunity to testify that Jesus is the Son of God. Let me
tell you: each and everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus should do
just that.
Most unbelievers who have heard of the name of Jesus or have

read about Him in history consider Him as Jesus of Nazareth. The
world acknowledges that there was a Jesus, but that He was only one
more among the billions. In other words, in their eyes Jesus was only
one man among many; though He may have been comparatively
special, yet he was still an ordinary person. Wait until one day,
though, when the unbeliever receives light and the eyes of his heart
are opened. Then he gets a revelation; then he discovers the fact that
Jesus is the Son of God. He may well rush to his friend’s home even
if it is after midnight to tell him that he has found God’s Son and His
name is Jesus.
It is a tremendous thing to find among men One who is the Son of

God. This is a monumental discovery. It surely should not be taken
lightly. Out of the thousands of years of history and the billions of
people who have lived, you have found One who is the Son of God.
Is this a small thing?
Here was a man, Paul, traveling on an animal’s back and plotting

the death of all who believed in the name of Jesus. But after he got
up from falling off the animal, he entered into the synagogues and
proclaimed that Jesus is the Son of God. Let me tell you: unless Paul
had been out of his mind, he must have seen a vision. He must have
received a revelation. Out of the billions of people who have lived on
this earth he picked One whom he proclaimed to be the Son of God.
New believers also should be like Paul and go out and proclaim that
they have met God’s Son.
Can a person get saved and sit quietly as if nothing has happened?
Can he believe on the Lord Jesus and not feel amazingly surprised? I
doubt that anyone can do that, for he has made a tremendous
discovery, the most special of all: Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of
God! I would not at all be surprised if he knocked on the door of his
friend’s house after midnight. Indeed, he ought to climb to the
mountaintop to shout the news or go to the seashore to proclaim that
Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God! No other discovery is anywhere
near the magnitude of this one. Even putting all the world’s
discoveries together would fall far behind this one. Indeed, we have
discovered the Son of God. What a tremendous thing this is!
WITNESSING 59
Suppose a governor, a chairman, a president, a marshall, or a king

travels incognito, but you recognize him because you have such a
keen eye. You feel elated for you have made a great discovery. The
Son of God also travels incognito, but we have discovered Him.
Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God. This is a tremendous thing. For
this reason, when Peter confessed the Lord as the Son of the living
God the Lord Jesus said to him, “For flesh and blood hath not
revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven” (Matt.
16:17b). When He travels incognito, He is known by no one except
those to whom the Father reveals Him.
Therefore, new believers, never consider your faith as a small

thing. Why does Christianity emphasize faith? Because it surpasses
anything the world has. You have believed. What a wonderful thing
is the faith which you have. You can shout and proclaim
everywhere—on the streets, in the synagogue, or in meeting places,
that you have found out that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God.
Your brother, Paul, did just that. If you too realize what it is you have
found, you will do the same thing. Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of
God. What a wonderful and most glorious fact it is.
4. PERSONAL WITNESSING
One of the two that heard John speak, and followed him, was
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He findeth first his own brother
Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah (which is,
being interpreted, Christ). He brought him unto Jesus. Jesus
looked upon him, and said, Thou art Simon the son of John: thou
shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter).
On the morrow he was minded to go forth into Galilee, and he
findeth Philip: and Jesus saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip
was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip
findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of
whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote, Jesus of
Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
John 1:40-45
In this fourth passage, we find how Andrew sought out Simon,

and Philip sought out Nathaniel. From this we learn that after we
believe in the Lord we should not only witness in the city, at home,
and in the synagogues but also should witness person to person.
As soon as Andrew believed in the Lord, he led his brother Peter

to Christ. Later on it turned out that Peter possessed more gifts and
probably was a greater apostle. Yet it was Andrew who led Peter to
the Lord. First he was saved and then he brought in his brother. The
relationship between Philip and Nathaniel was not that of brothers
but of friends. Philip sought out his friend and brought the latter to
the Lord. Both these examples illustrate the principle of personal
witnessing.
Let us remember that the foundation of Christianity is built on this

one-by-one method. About a hundred years ago, there was a believer
in England by the name of Harvey Page. His eyes were opened by
the special grace of the Lord to see that, though he was a most simple
person having no conspicuous gift and unable to do many things, yet
he could at least deal with people one by one. Though many
Christians were gifted to do great works, he was not. But he could
focus his attention on one person and follow through with that one
person tenaciously. Thus he would tell his chosen friend that since
he, Harvey Page, was saved, his friend could be saved too. He would
pray for and talk to his friend until the latter did indeed get saved. By
the time Harvey Page departed from this world, he had in this
manner led more than a hundred people to the Lord.
Succeeding Harvey Page was Thomas Hogban and his One-by-

One Band. Hogban was actually touched by Page’s faithfulness. He
was a learned man and a man of prayer. He organized the One-by-
One Band in twenty-seven countries. Though this work has now been
terminated, during the time of its existence many were saved.
WITNESSING 61
A new believer may feel that he is not much gifted, but like
Andrew and Philip he should at once witness to his family or to his
friends. If his strength is limited, he can at least focus on one person
at a time. Thus shall he bring souls to the Lord.
When to Witness
One ought to bear witness as soon as he believes on the Lord.

Whether he witnesses to one or to many, in his home or in the city, in
the early morning or at midday, in one place or in many places, in the
synagogues or in the villages, he must bear witness for the Lord.
It is a great blessing if one can start to save souls on the first day
of his salvation. I remember a story about a battalion commander.
Mr. Todd was a great soul-winner in the last century. He was saved
when he was sixteen and this is what then happened: On a certain
holiday he went to a village where he was entertained by a couple in
the church. This couple was wise in soul-winning, and they brought
Todd to the Lord. Todd had formerly been a carefree youth, but on
that day he knelt down to pray and was saved. Afterwards he had tea
with the couple. During their conversation, he was told that the
gospel could not become strong in that locality until a certain
battalion commander was converted.∗
Young Todd asked who this Commander Deeds was. He was told
that the man was a retired commander of over sixty years of age who
looked on all Christians as hypocrites and who would curse or beat
any Christian who dared to preach the gospel to him or even to pass
by his house. He kept a pistol at home and threatened to open fire on
any who preached to him. Having heard this, Todd immediately
prayed: “O Lord, You have shown grace to me. This is the first day
∗
Translator’s note: we cannot check on the correct name of the commander, so we
tentatively call him Deeds.
of my salvation. I will go and witness to him.” Before tea was

finished, he was on his way to the commander. It was less than two
hours after he was saved.
The elderly couple tried to advise Todd not to go. It would be

futile since many had already witnessed to the commander without
success. Some of these he had beaten with the end of his pistol or
with a rod; some he had threatened to shoot. Nobody would sue him
for being beaten for the sake of the gospel since that would be
against our Lord’s teaching. As a result, the commander became
fiercer and fiercer. But Todd still felt he should go.
He arrived at the house and knocked on the door. The commander

answered the door with a rod in his hand and said, “Young man,
what do you want?” Todd requested to have a few words with him.
So they both entered into the room. “I hope you will accept the Lord
Jesus as your Savior,” said Todd. The commander lifted up his rod,
saying, “I suppose you are new here so I pardon you; I will not beat
you. Have you not heard that this is one place where the name of
Jesus is tabooed? Now, go quickly!”
“I beg you to believe on the Lord Jesus,” continued Todd. The

commander was furious. He went upstairs and came down with his
pistol. “Go, or I will shoot,” he threatened. Todd answered, “I have
come to ask you to believe in the Lord Jesus. If you want to shoot,
you may. But before you shoot, let me pray.” He immediately knelt
before the commander and prayed: “O God, here is a man who does
not know You. Please save him.” He prayed the second time: “O
God, here is a man who does not know You. Have mercy on him,
have mercy on the commander.” He kept on kneeling and praying,
“O God, have mercy on the commander.” After he had prayed five or
six times, he heard a sigh and then heard the pistol being laid aside.
After a while, the commander also knelt down by the side of Todd
and then he too prayed, saying, “O God, have mercy on Commander
Deeds.” Within five minutes the commander was saved. As they rose
WITNESSING 63
he took the hand of the young man and said, “I have heard the gospel
all my life, but today I have seen the gospel for the first time.”
Young Todd later told people that when he saw those fierce-looking
lines on the sin-stained face of the commander, it seemed as if light
shone through every one of them pleading for the mercy of God. On
the following Lord’s day, Commander Deeds went to the church to
worship. And before he died he led several dozen people to the Lord.
The Believer’s Secret of Happiness
In every believer’s life there are two big days, two days of special
rejoicing. The first happy day is the day when he believes in the
Lord. The second happy day is the day when he for the first time
leads someone to Christ. To many, the joy of leading a person to the
Lord for the very first time even exceeds the joy of their own
salvation. But many believers are not happy, for they have never
uttered a word for the Lord nor ever led a soul to Christ. Do not let
this be your condition; do not degenerate to the point of having no
joy.
The Bible says, “And he that is wise winneth souls” (Prov.

11:30b). New believers should learn to bring souls to salvation from
the start of their Christian life. They must learn to be wise so as to be
useful in the church of God. The spiritual understanding of many
believers has never been opened because they do not know how to
win souls. We do not encourage people to preach in the pulpit, but
we do persuade them to save souls. Many can preach but cannot save
souls. If you bring people to them, they do not know how to deal
with these souls. Only those who know how to deal with souls and
lead them to Christ are useful in the church. May new believers learn
this early in their Christian life.
It is absolutely impossible for a person to have light and not to

shine. As there is no tooth which does not chew, no fountain that
does not flow, so there is no life which does not beget life. Whoever
cannot witness to sinners is probably in need of others testifying to

him. Whoever has no interest to help people repent and believe in the
Lord may himself need to repent and believe the Lord. Whoever is
voiceless for the Lord may have yet to hear the sound of God’s
gospel. Is there any light without a ray or a fountain without water?
Is it possible for a man to be so advanced spiritually that he is no
longer winning souls? I am not talking about preaching but about
saving souls. I am not talking about giving a gospel message but
about witnessing. Who can be so spiritually progressed as to have no
need to witness to people? Therefore new believers ought to learn to
bear witness for the Lord. This is something you can never outgrow;
it is a lifetime undertaking.
When you are a little further along the road of spiritual growth,
some brothers may say to you that you should be a channel of living
water. Indeed, we do need to be joined to the Holy Spirit so that
living water may flow through us. But let me also say that the
channel of life has two ends: one end is opened towards the Holy
Spirit, towards the Lord, towards life; but the other end is opened
towards men. If the end towards men is shut, living water will never
be able to flow out. How can anyone be so misled as to think that
having one end opened towards the Lord is adequate? No, the water
of life will not flow if only the end towards the Lord is opened. The
other end, the end towards men, towards the world, towards sinners
must be opened too in order for there to be any flowing. The reason
why many do not have power before God is due to their either being
closed on the end towards the Lord or on the end towards sinners.
Today I would like to make some calculations, even as others

before me have done. Should there be ten thousand believers who
hereafter faithfully bear witness everywhere with one accord, they
should be able to save the whole world population within ten years if
WITNESSING 65
each of them leads three persons to the Lord yearly.∗ This is not
something that will be done from the pulpit, but rather through
personal witnessing. From this computation, we may realize how
very lazy we are in saving souls. How great is the loss!
The Duty of Witnessing
Because you are not witnessing, many have not heard the gospel.
They will be eternally separated, not just temporarily separated, from
God. What a consequence!
Dr. Chalmers was one of the best preachers and soul-winners

during the second half of the last century. The following story comes
from him: Once he was invited to have supper in a family. After they
had finished eating, they read the Bible. Being a most learned and
eloquent man, Dr. Chalmers talked with the others a great deal on
learned matters. At that time two very elderly tribal chieftains were
present, one of whom was also a very learned man. So they talked for
a long time. Later they all retired to their rooms. This learned
chieftain happened to occupy a room opposite to Dr. Chalmers’. As
Dr. Chalmers retired to his room, he heard a sound like something
falling in the opposite room. He ran over and discovered the chieftain
dead on the floor. The others in the house also rushed over to the
room.
Immediately Dr. Chalmers stood up and said: “Had I known that

this would happen, I would not have spent the last two hours chatting
about so many things. I would have pointed him to eternal things.
But, alas, I have not used even five minutes to speak to him of the
salvation of his soul. I did not even give him a chance. If I had
known then what I know now, I would have used all my strength to
tell him how Jesus was crucified on the cross for him. But now it is
∗
Based on population estimates of 1948 or earlier.
too late. Had I spoken those words to him at that time, you all might
have laughed at me and considered my conversation as inappropriate.
Though I now say these words, the time is too late. At supper I could
have said them, words which now I hope you all will listen to. Each
and every one of you needs the Lord Jesus and His cross. Let me tell
you, separation from God is eternal, not temporary. How sad that this
man is eternally barred from heaven.”
New believers must not be lax in this matter. We must learn to

bring people to the Lord. We need to have a determination within us
to win souls. Let us at least let them hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
When I was newly saved, I was told by those older in the Lord that I
should at least speak to one soul a day. Unless the new believer is a
sick person confined at home, we encourage all to speak of the Lord
Jesus to at least one person a day.
It is best that you keep a record of how many souls you have won
to Christ—thirty, forty, or fifty a year. We are afraid of general
prayers asking the Lord to save souls. You should set a goal for the
year: ten, twenty, or thirty. You should pray: “Lord, I ask You for
thirty souls.” Record in your book the name of each who is saved. At
the close of the year, check your book and if it does not balance with
your prayer ask the Lord for the deficit. Do encourage brothers and
sisters to do this. Let me tell you: it is not too much to save thirty,
forty, or fifty people. It should be very common to ask for ten or
twenty. You need to have a definite number to ask the Lord for
fulfillment. Pray daily before the Lord and seize every opportunity to
witness for Christ.
At least witness to one person a day. Witness to whomever you

meet. It is useless for the gospel to be preached only from the pulpit.
Young people ought to learn to witness daily, to seize opportunity
daily to work for the Lord. Do not conceive a fanciful expectation of
ascending the pulpit without having any sense of daily duty in
WITNESSING 67
personal witnessing. It is futile. We expect all young people to be

engaged in personal work, in speaking one to one.
D. L. Moody was a great soul-winner. He had a rule: whether in

the pulpit or not, we must preach the gospel to at least one person
each day. One night he went to bed and suddenly remembered that he
had not preached the gospel that day. What should he do? He got up
and dressed. It was already midnight and there was nobody on the
street. He could do nothing but try to find a policeman. He exhorted
the policeman to believe in the Lord. It happened that the policeman
he talked to was in great distress, so Moody was rebuffed by the
policeman angrily, saying, “What sort of a person are you to do
nothing but to persuade me to believe in Jesus at midnight?” Moody
spoke a few more words and then hurried home. But, thank God,
after a few days the policeman was saved.
I hope all able-bodied new believers will determine before God

that they will seize every opportunity to find souls and to find at least
one soul per day. If the whole church is preaching the gospel, who
can stand against it?
May we lift up our torches and ignite others. May the testimony of
the gospel be continued in us until the Lord shall come. Let not the
testimony cease when our candles are burned out. May this candle of
ours kindle another candle and still another candle. It is not too much
to ask for thirty, forty, or fifty people a year from the Lord. Yearly let
us bring souls to Christ. Thus shall the church be prosperous. There
is much work before us. Let us all rise up and finish the task.
12
HOW TO LEAD PEOPLE TO
CHRIST
We have already mentioned to new

believers the importance of witnessing.
Now we will instruct them on how to lead
people to the Lord. The lack of such knowledge will no doubt render
much of their witnessing ineffective. After a person is saved, he must
not only be exhorted to go out and witness but he also needs to be
instructed on how to lead men to Christ. These two things he needs
to learn and to do.
Let us look at the matter of how to lead people to the Lord from
two sides: first, approaching God on behalf of sinners; and second,
approaching sinners on behalf of God and the technique of how to
lead people to the Lord.
Approach God on Behalf of Sinners
1. PREPARE A RECORD BOOK
The first thing to do is to prepare a notebook. Ask God to give the

names of those whom He wishes to save into your heart. No doubt
you will be burdened in your heart to pray for a few or even for
several dozen people.
Do not compile this name list carelessly, for that would be a waste
of time. The important thing is that before you write down the
names, you first ask the Lord to put them into your heart. For the
work to be done well, it must begin well. As you lay this matter
before the Lord, He will give you the names of certain ones for
whom to pray. The names of your family, your friends, your
colleagues, your schoolmates, and your acquaintances will
spontaneously come to your heart. You hope that these people will
soon be saved.
Enter these names in the record book according to the number of

their occurrence. Under a date column write the date you started to
pray for a certain person, and over on the other side keep a blank to
be filled in with the time when that particular person is saved. Once a
name is entered, it cannot be taken away unless the person either is
saved or passes away. As long as the name is there, you should pray
for him until he is saved.
So your record book should have the following items: first item is
the number; second, the date (the day you start to pray); third, the
name; and fourth, another date (the day the person is saved or passes
away). I remember a brother prayed for one name in his book for
eighteen years before that person was saved. Many in your book may
get saved within one year; some may be saved in three months; one
or two may be especially difficult—but let there be no escape.
2. PRAYER IS THE BASIC WORK IN SAVING SOULS
Why should you prepare such a record book? Because there is a

basic principle in the saving of souls, and that is, before you speak to
a person you must first pray to God. First ask the Lord and then
speak to him. It is absolutely necessary for you to speak to God on
behalf of the person to whom you will later speak. If you speak to
him first, you will not be able to accomplish anything.
In a certain place I saw two responsible brothers who were very

zealous in leading men to the Lord. But in my contact with them, I
knew instantly that something was basically wrong. They did not
pray for those whom they wished to win for Christ. An interest in
men void of a burden before God is simply inadequate and is
therefore ineffective. One must first have a burden before God and
then labor among men.
HOW TO LEAD PEOPLE TO CHRIST 71
Hence, the first thing to do is to ask God for a few souls. “All that
which the Father giveth me shall come unto me” (John 6:37), said the
Lord Jesus. And we also remember how God added to the church day
by day those that were saved (Acts 2:47). We must ask God for
souls. We need to pray: “O God, give souls to the Lord Jesus, add
people to the church.” People are given by the asking. Human hearts
are so subtle that they are not easily turned. For this reason, we must
pray faithfully for a person before we speak fully to him. How
important is prayer. Pray by name for those people whom you wish
to lead to Christ, believe that God will save them, and then lead them
to the Lord.
Whosoever is wise in leading men to Christ is skillful in the art of

prayer. If one has difficulty having his prayer answered, he will have
difficulty going out and witnessing for the Lord. May new believers
see that the way lies in praying before witnessing. All who are wise
in leading people to the Lord are also effectual in prayer.
3. THE GREATEST HINDRANCE TO PRAYER IS SIN
Special attention should be paid by new believers to reject all

known sins. We must learn to live a holy life before God. If anyone
is lax in the matter of sin, his prayer will definitely be hindered. Sin
is a big problem. Many cannot pray because they tolerate sin in their
lives. Sin will not only obstruct our prayers, it will also wreck our
conscience.
The effects of sin are two-sided: objectively, there is an effect

Godward; subjectively, there is an effect usward.
Objectively, sin obstructs God’s grace and God’s answer.

“Behold, Jehovah’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither
his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated
between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you,
so that he will not hear” (Is. 59:1-2). God’s mercy and grace is the
greatest force in the world. Nothing can stand against it except sin. It
is said in the Psalms, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will
not hear” (Ps. 66:18). If a person neglects dealing with sin, there will
be an obstruction between him and God. Any unconfessed sin, any
sin which is not put under the blood, becomes a great hindrance
before God—it hinders prayer from being answered. This is the
objective effect of sin.
Subjectively, sin damages a man’s conscience. Whenever a person

sins, his conscience becomes weakened and depressed irrespective of
how hard he tries to convince himself, of how much he reads the
Bible, and of how desperately he holds on to the promises in the
Bible and the acceptable grace of God. His conscience is like a ship
(see 1 Tim. 1:19). It is all right for a ship to be old, but it cannot be
wrecked. It is all right for a ship to be small, but it cannot afford to
be broken. In like manner, a conscience must not be wrecked. If the
conscience lacks peace, there will be a hindrance in the person and
before God.
I often think of the relationship between faith and conscience.

Faith is like the cargo and conscience is like the ship. The cargo is in
the ship. If the ship is wrecked, the cargo will fall out. When
conscience is strong, faith is also strong; but when conscience is
wrecked, faith leaks out. God’s heart is greater than ours; if we
condemn ourselves, how much more will God condemn us. This is
what the apostle John tells us (1 John 3:20).
New believers ought to see that the sin question must be solved if
they desire to be skillful in prayer. Thus they should note especially
the preciousness of the blood. They have lived in sin so long that
they will not be able to be completely freed from sin if they are even
slightly lenient toward it. They need to confess their sins one by one
before God, put them one after another under the blood, reject each
one of them, and be freed of them. Thus shall their conscience be
restored. By the cleansing of the blood, the conscience is instantly
restored. With the washing of the blood, conscience no longer

accuses and one may naturally see God’s face. Never let yourself fall
into the place whereby you become weak before God, for you will
not then be able to intercede for others. Thus this question of sin is
the first thing to which you must attend daily. Deal well with sin;
then you can pray well before God and lead people to Christ. If you
daily remember people before the Lord with faith, you will soon win
them to Christ.
This is a big test. It will test out your spiritual condition before
God. If your spiritual condition is normal and right, you will gain the
people on your prayer list one by one. Pray for them with
perseverance. After a few days, half a month or a month, one or two
may get saved; and so on. If after three or four months, your prayers
are still unanswered, something must be wrong with your prayer. So
you see that prayer is your greatest test. It reveals whether you are
sick before God. If so, that is why your prayer remains unanswered.
If you are well before God, you will see one or two saved after a
reasonable period of time.
4. PRAY IN FAITH
Once believers have dealt thoroughly with their sins and

maintained a strong conscience before God, they need to be further
helped to see the importance of faith.
Actually the prayer life of new believers is mainly involved with

conscience and faith. Though prayer is rather profound, to new
believers it is only a matter of conscience and faith. If their
conscience before God is without offense, their faith can easily be
strong. And if their faith is sufficiently strong, their prayer will easily
be answered. Therefore it is necessary for them to have faith.
What is faith? It is not doubting in prayer. It is God who

constrains us to pray. It is God who promises that we may pray to
Him. He cannot but answer if we pray. He says: “Knock and it shall

be opened unto you.” How can I knock and He refuse to open? He
says: “Seek and ye shall find.” Can I seek and find not? He says:
“Ask and it shall be given you.” It is absolutely impossible for me to
ask and not be given. Who do we think our God is? We ought to see
how faithful and dependable are the promises of God.
We may have believed in the Lord for some years now, but can
recall that at one time it was quite difficult to believe, for faith is
based on the knowledge of God. The depth of our knowledge of God
measures the depth of our faith. We need to know God more that we
may have more faith. Salvation is based on knowing. Now that we
have been saved, have known God, we can believe without any
difficulty. If we believe, God will answer us. Let us learn from the
beginning to be people full of faith. Do not live by feelings nor by
thoughts; learn to live by faith. As we learn to believe in God, we
shall find our prayers answered.
Faith comes by the Word of God. For God’s Word is like cash
that can be taken and used. God’s promise is God’s work. Promise
tells us what God’s work is, and work manifests to us the promise of
God. If we believe the Word of God and do not doubt, we will abide
in faith and see how trustworthy is all that God has said. Our prayers
shall be answered.
5. ASPIRE TO KNOW HOW TO PRAY
Encourage young believers to be ambitious in being people who

know how to pray. Inspire them to seek to be powerful before God.
Some people are powerful before God but others are not. God listens
to some and others He does not hear. What is meant by being
powerful before God? It simply means that when a person prays,
God hears. It seems as if God is delighted in being influenced by
men. Some people really influence God. Those who are powerless
are those whose prayers God disregards. They may pray for hours,
but God pays no attention. Answered prayer is the test of all.
Here is a fine opportunity to test whether God is a prayer-hearing

God or whether you know how to pray. Write these names in your
record book and deal with them one by one before God, and see how
soon God will save them.
I do not know how to say it, but I do want to instill in new

believers a desire to have all their prayers answered. This is better
than anything else, far better than preaching from the pulpit. We
should ask God for this one thing: that He may be happy to hear us.
We should aspire to be powerful before God.
It is a most glorious thing for God to be willing to hear your

prayers, for Him to be able to trust you to such an extent as to give
you whatever you may ask for. Let this be your earnest expectation
from the very start of your Christian life. Record the names of those
for whom you are burdened for their salvation in your record book
and pray for them one by one. If the time seems to be overdue and
your prayer is still unanswered, you should have special dealings
with God. Undoubtedly something must be wrong. And this shows
us the value of such a book. It causes us to know whether or not our
prayers are answered. It also helps us to be aware when anything is
wrong. God is far more sensitive to sin than we are. Frequently we
are unaware of what God has already condemned and this will hinder
our prayers from being answered.
To young believers, unanswered prayers can mainly be attributed

to either a bad conscience or faulty faith. Therefore, they need to
confess and to deal with their sins so as to gain faith. They must
believe, wholly and truly, that God will do everything according to
His promise. Then they will actually see the salvation of those for
whom they have prayed. They should continually experience such
answers to prayer.
New believers should set apart a definite time each day to do this
work of intercession. Whether it be half an hour, an hour, or a quarter
of an hour, it must be a fixed time. For without such a fixed time,
they probably will not pray at all.
6. SOME WORTHY EXAMPLES
In the following, I will give some examples of how to lead people

to Christ:
EMPLOYER OF A TIME-SETTER
In England there was a woman who owned lots of clocks. She

employed a man to set these clocks every day so they might give the
same time. She was also a person who interceded for others in prayer
and kept a record book. One day she suddenly remembered the time-
setter. This man came to her house every day, and yet she had never
once mentioned his name before the Lord nor had she ever prayed
for him. She felt the Lord had put the name of that time-setter in her
heart, so she wrote it down in her book. She began to pray for him,
saying, “O God, this man comes to set my clocks; now I ask Thee to
let me set his soul right.” She prayed daily for him.
At first she did not speak to him, but gradually she began to talk
with him. Whenever he was talked to, he always said yes, yes,
though he was not at all moved. This continued for fifteen months
until at length his soul was set right.
Concerning praying for souls, we have to spend time before God

remembering these souls continuously and mentioning their names
one by one. The time between the first prayer and the answer may
vary, but we must pray until they are saved.
A STOKER
Also in England there was once a stoker who fed the furnace on a
boat. His face and even his body were covered with black from day
till night. One day he was saved. He asked the one who led him to
Christ what was the first thing he should do for Christ. He was told to
pray for one of his fellow stokers, for whichever one the Lord
impressed upon his heart. There were more than ten stokers with
whom he worked, but there was one whom he remembered
especially. So he prayed for that one day and night.
Somehow this was discovered by the friend for whom he was

praying; at first the friend was quite annoyed. But when an evangelist
came to town, the prayed-for friend stood up, asking, “Can I be saved
too? I want to be saved.” The preacher asked him why he wanted to
be saved. “Because a man is always praying for me, so I want to be
saved,” answered the stoker. Thus one stoker led another to the Lord.
A SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD BOY
There was a sixteen-year-old boy working as a copyist in an

architectural firm. In the firm was a chief engineer who had such a
bad temper that everyone was afraid of him. After this boy was
saved, he learned the lesson of prayer. So he prayed daily for the
chief engineer, though he dared not preach the gospel to such a big
man. Not long afterwards, the chief engineer came over to the boy
and asked, “Tell me why, among over two hundred people in the
firm, only you are different.” That engineer was middle-aged while
the boy was only in his teens. But the young boy told the engineer
that he had believed in the Lord Jesus. Right then the engineer said
that he too would like to believe. Later he was brought to the church
and soon was saved.
TWO SISTERS IN ENGLAND
In England there were big families that often opened their houses
to entertain guests. These were not hotels, but homes of high-class
families who liked to have guests. Two sisters had such a home, and
they opened their house to receive guests. These guests were all
high-class people. Sometimes there were twenty or thirty staying
with them. They observed that their guests were all worldly people
who were fashionably dressed. When these guests sat around the
table, their conversation usually touched upon worldly things and
they often joked a lot. The two sisters wanted to correct this
condition, but how? They were greatly outnumbered since there were
only two of them. After deliberation, they decided to sit at the two
ends of the room and join their hearts in praying over every one of
their guests.
During the first evening after supper, they all retired to the sitting
room. The two sisters took up their positions and started to pray, one
praying from one end and the other praying from the other end until
they had finished praying for all. Because of their silent prayers, the
guests found themselves unable to jest and joke and talk. They
wondered why. That night one person was saved, and the second
night another was saved. This went on until all were saved.
Remember, prayer is indispensable. Those two sisters were very

wise. Instead of sitting among their guests and being influenced by
them, they sat at the two ends of the room and encircled their guests
with prayers so that none might escape but all be saved.
Approach Sinners on Behalf of God
It is not enough just to pray for sinners and to approach God on

behalf of sinners. We must also approach sinners on behalf of God.
We need to tell them what God is like. Many people dare to speak to
God but have no courage to speak to men. Young people should be
trained to be bold to speak to others. They must not only pray but
also seek opportunities to talk.
In talking with people, there are a few things which should be

especially observed.
1. NEVER ARGUE UNNECESSARILY
In speaking to people, we need a little technique. First of all, we

must not enter into unnecessary arguments. This does not mean that
we should never argue, because in Acts we find several instances
where they argued; even the apostle Paul argued. If you have to
argue, you argue with one person for the benefit of a third person
listening in. But for the one whom you wish to win to Christ, usually
it is better if you do not argue. Do not argue with him nor argue for
him to hear. Why? Because argument may drive people away instead
of drawing them in. You need to show a gentle spirit; otherwise
people will flee from you.
Many think that argument may move a person’s heart. But this is
not true. Argument at most only brings people’s minds into
subjection. Therefore, it is better to speak less words which come
from the mind and rather witness more. Tell people of how you have
experienced joy and peace and rest after you believed in the Lord
Jesus. These are facts that no one can argue with.
2. HOLD ON TO FACTS
Another method in leading people to the Lord is to use fact, not

doctrine, while talking. It is not because of the reasonableness of the
doctrine that people come into faith. Many see the logic of the
doctrine but still do not believe.
Often it is the simple who can save souls. Those who preach well
on doctrine may correct people’s minds but fail to save souls. The
one aim is to save people, not to correct their minds. What is the use
in having their minds corrected but leaving them unsaved?
I remember once there was an old man. He attended the church

meetings regularly, but he was not saved. Though he was unsaved,
yet he considered going to church a good habit. So he attended
regularly and wanted his whole family to go with him. Often after the
meetings he would go home and get into a bad temper. The whole
family was afraid of him.
One day his married daughter came to see him. This daughter
belonged to the Lord. When she came to visit, she brought her four-
year-old girl with her. This grandfather naturally took his little
granddaughter along to the church. After the service as they walked
out, the little granddaughter looked at her grandfather and felt that he
did not look like a believer in the Lord Jesus. So on the way she
asked him whether he believed in Jesus. The old grandfather retorted
that a child should not talk. After a few steps, the child again said to
him, “To me you do not look like a believer in Jesus.” This old man
once again replied, “A little child is not allowed to speak.” After a
while, the girl spoke again, “Why do you not believe in Jesus?” This
time the old man was caught. He who was much feared by others
was brought to the Lord through these simple questions.
Remember, therefore, it is not a matter of preaching. This little

child had a keener eye than many people. She noticed that though her
grandfather went to church he was different. She said, “You do not
look like a believer,” and then asked, “Why do you not believe in the
Lord Jesus?” Thus she led him to Christ.
In preaching the gospel or witnessing for Christ, do not be afraid

to be foolish. The best brain can hardly save people. I have yet to see
a good brain saving souls, for as one uses his brain he always turns to
doctrine. He states the doctrine clearly but this is not the way
required by the gospel. You need to know God’s way. If a person
fishes with a straight hook, he will never get a fish. The fishhook
must be barbed so as to hook the fish. This is what new believers
ought to learn.
3. MAINTAIN A SINCERE AND EARNEST ATTITUDE
In witnessing, our attitude must be sincere and earnest, not given

to frivolity. We must not argue, but only tell the facts of what we
have experienced before God. If we stand in this position, we will be
able to lead many to the Lord. Do not try to have a big brain; just
stress facts. We may joke about other matters but in this one thing we
must be sincere.
I once saw a person who wished to lead people to Christ. He was

willing to pray, but his attitude was wrong. As he talked of the Lord,
he joked and jested along. These two are incompatible. Through
frivolity he lost whatever spiritual power he might have had. He had
no way to lead people to Christ. In witnessing, our attitude must be
sincere. We need to impress upon others that this is a most serious
matter.
4. ASK GOD FOR OPPORTUNITIES
We should pray that God will give us opportunities to speak with

people. If we pray, we will be given opportunities.
I recall a sister who led a small Bible class. She gathered, many
salesgirls who were unbelievers and gave them instruction from the
Bible once a week. She did this for a time but with no visible result.
Then she noticed among the girls one who was fashionably dressed.
This particular girl was proud and had no heart for spiritual things.
So the sister started to pray for that girl. After many days she invited
the girl to come to her home and have tea with her. The girl expected
to have a nice social visit, and so she went. But as soon as they sat
down, the sister began to persuade her to believe. The girl answered,
“I cannot believe for I love playing cards, I love the theater, I love
the world. I am not willing to incur the loss of these things, so I
cannot believe in the Lord Jesus.” The sister acknowledged that such
would be the case if one believed in the Lord Jesus; one would have
to give up cards, the theater, and the pleasures of this world. The girl
said, “The cost is too much; I cannot afford to pay it.” She was asked
by the sister to go home and reconsider.
Returning home she knelt down to pray. After prayer, she decided
to follow the Lord Jesus. She was suddenly transformed. She did not
know why, but her heart was turned. Her dress and her make-up also
underwent a change. A month later the manager of her floor called
her to his office and congratulated her on her change. She was
surprised. So the manager told her that they had had a meeting in
which a decision had been reached that they would fire her if she
continued to be as she used to be for another week. She had been so
arrogant, disrespectful to customers, overly adorned, and frivolous
that she had thought only of herself, not of the business of the firm.
But strangely, within that week she had changed. He asked if he
might know the reason. The girl testified that she had accepted the
Lord Jesus. Within a year over a hundred salesgirls were brought by
her, one after another, to the Lord.
Some seem to be difficult to talk with. But if you pray for them,
you will be given opportunities to speak to them and they will be
changed. Look at the sister referred to above. She was at first afraid
to talk to that girl for the latter was so arrogant in her attitude and so
worldly in her attire. The Lord, however, gave the sister a burden to
pray. Then one day the Lord gave her courage to speak to the girl.
Therefore, we must learn to pray and also to speak. Many dare not
open their mouths to speak of the Lord Jesus to their friends and
relatives. Maybe opportunities are waiting for you but you have let
these opportunities slip by because you are afraid.
5. SEEK OUT PEOPLE OF THE SAME CATEGORY
According to our past experience, it is better for people to seek

and save those in the same category. This is a common rule. Nurses
can work among nurses, doctors among doctors, patients among

patients, civil servants among civil servants, students among
students. Work on those who are nearest to you. You do not need to
start with open-air meetings, but with your family and acquaintances.
It is natural for doctors to work on their patients, teachers on their
students, employers on their employees, masters on their servants.
I remember there were twelve houses in a certain lane in

Shanghai. One maidservant got saved. She decided to start with the
first house on the right. Soon the maid of that house on the right was
saved, and then the maid of the second house on the right got saved,
and so on. By the time I heard of it, six maidservants had already
been saved.
Let the children work among the children. It is most convenient to

work by this rule of staying within the same category. Let the men
seek out the men, and the women, women. I do not say that it must
be so, but from our past experience it does seem to be the most
effective.
New believers should know to what category they belong, then

seek out those of the same category. With the exception of people
being your friends or relatives or neighbors, this rule usually is both
effective and conveniently applicable.
I do not say there are no exceptions, for there are some. Our Lord
Jesus Himself gave us some exceptional examples. Nonetheless, this
rule is generally preferable. For a miner to preach in a college is
exceptional. Though the Lord does sometimes do exceptional things,
yet He cannot be expected to do such things every day. For example,
for a very learned person to talk to the laborers at the pier is not quite
suitable. But if a few longshoremen are saved and they go out to save
the rest, it seems to me to be a more appropriate and easier way.
6. BRING PEOPLE TO GOD DAILY THROUGH PRAYERS

There will never be a time when there is no one to pray for. You
can pray for your fellow students, your colleagues, your fellow
nurses or doctors, and your fellow employees. Ask God to put
especially one or two of them upon your heart. When He puts a
person in your heart, write his name in your book and pray daily for
him.
After you have begun to pray for a soul, you should also talk to
him. Tell him of the grace of the Lord to you. This is something he
cannot resist or forget.
7. IN SEASON AND OUT OF SEASON
Finally, I wish to mention that you are not forbidden to speak to

those for whom you have not prayed before. There will be some to
whom you will speak when you meet them for the first time. Seize
every opportunity; speak both in season and out of season, for you do
not know who will slip away. You must open your mouth regularly
even as you should pray always. Pray for those with names and pray
for many without names. Pray that the Lord will save sinners.
Whenever you meet a sinner by chance, if the Spirit of God moves
you, speak to him.
I recall a story about a British naval officer who attended a race in

London. Crowds of people were there watching the race. It so
happened that a middle-aged noble lady was watching by his side.
He wondered in his heart if this lady knew the Savior. So he turned
to her and said: “Pardon me. I have an important question to ask
you—do you know my Savior?” The lady was stunned and surprised
at such a question. He explained to her that the Lord Jesus was his
Savior and he encouraged her to accept Him. The lady expressed her
willingness to receive the Lord Jesus. They knelt down to pray and
the lady was soundly saved.
Let me tell you, if we are a little careless, souls will slip away
from us. May God’s fishermen today cast such a fine net that no fish
will slip away.
Practice is Required
Each time you try to lead a sinner to the Lord, you must treat it as
a case to be studied. You must be like a medical doctor who studies
each and every case. You cannot give a prescription indiscriminately.
Likewise, in dealings with souls you have to study them as cases.
Acknowledge each failure and find out the reason for each success.
No one in the world can be an accountant, a teacher, a doctor, a

nurse, or even a sedan-chair bearer without proper training.
Likewise, how can we be soul-winners without first learning how to
lead people to the Lord? There are many who have become rather
skillful in winning souls. Such ones study each case carefully every
time.
We should always inquire why a certain one accepted the Lord.

Was there anything we said that made him believe? Or why did
another one seem to listen so well and yet slip away afterwards? Was
it because we did not use the right bait? Do not blame others for all
the difficulties; rather look into yourself for the problem, as all who
are skillful in winning souls usually do. If people are not saved,
something must be wrong in us. We cannot sit by the seashore and
wonder why the fish do not leap into the boat. We need to spend time
searching out the reason why people are not saved. There is a
technique in soul-winning. And this technique is learned by doing.
We can learn from our failures as well as from our successes.
I can testify before you today that if you really put yourselves to
the task, you will discover it is not too difficult at all. You may win
many without any difficulty. Actually there are only a few types of
people in the world. For each type of person, you need to have a
special kind of word in order to get them saved. If you use the wrong
approach, you will only cause trouble.
Once we have learned to deal with the different types of people,

we will be able to deal with anyone. We will even know how to deal
with those whom we meet by chance. As soon as we have an
opportunity to witness for Christ, we will quickly discover what type
of person he is. We will then know what approach we should use.
With the right word, the man will be saved. In short, we
acknowledge the truthfulness of the word that it is the wise who win
souls.
Distributing Tracts
1. TRACT DISTRIBUTION HAS NO TIME LIMITATIONS
During the past two or three hundred years, God has especially
used gospel tracts to save people. Tracts have several special
advantages. One advantage is that whereas in speaking there is the
limitation of time as well as the restriction of people—that is, you
cannot speak twenty-four hours a day nor will people always be
conveniently present to hear you—with tracts there is no such
limitation or restriction. You may distribute tracts at any time, and
people can read them at their convenience. Some people may not
have the time to go to meetings and listen to the preaching of the
gospel, but they can always be given a tract to read.
2. TRACTS MAY PRESENT THE GOSPEL FULLY
Often people have the zeal to witness for the Lord but are unable
to present the gospel fully and completely. A good way for new
believers is to choose some good gospel tracts and distribute them.
This will help you to accomplish what you yourself cannot do.
3. TRACTS ARE UNAFFECTED BY PEOPLE

In talking to people, sometimes we are unable to present the

gospel as fully or seriously as it should be. We are easily affected by
human considerations and feelings. With tracts there is no such
problem. They say what is to be said irrespective of who is reading
them. When we preach the gospel, we cannot avoid being influenced
by people, but preaching by tracts is absolutely above such influence.
So new believers should start to sow with tracts.
4. TRACTS MAY BE SCATTERED EVERYWHERE
Another advantage of tracts is that they may be scattered

everywhere. As the Old Testament says, “Cast thy bread upon the
waters; for thou shalt find it after many days” (Eccl. 11:1). It would
consume lots of time to speak to three, five, ten people. But when I
first believed in the Lord, I distributed daily an average of one to
three thousand tracts. Take a pile of tracts with you when you go out.
Give one to whomever you meet. This is like sowing upon the face
of the waters. If only one person is saved through those one thousand
distributed tracts, it is really worthwhile
5. TRACTS ARE REALLY USED BY GOD TO SAVE PEOPLE
God sometimes uses tracts in amazing ways to save people. I

remember once a man threw away a tract on the road. Another man
came by. One nail in his shoe happened to stick out and caused pain
to his foot. He was looking for some paper to pad the inside of his
shoe. He picked up the tract and put it in his shoe. While his shoe
was being repaired afterwards, he read the tract and was saved. Many
wonderful stories like this can be told of how tracts have been used
to save souls.
6. PRAY FAITHFULLY AND WORK SINGLE-MINDEDLY
Whenever new believers are free, they should put tracts in their
pockets and distribute them. In doing this work of leading people to
Christ, we need to pray faithfully and undertake the task with

singleness of heart. As we distribute, we may add a word or two or
we may say nothing. But we do expect to see people come to the
Lord.
13
HOUSEHOLD SALVATION
The Promise of God
Most things have their basic unit and the

unit for salvation is the household. We find
in the Bible that God gives many promises in regard to His dealings
with men. If we know these promises, we will be greatly benefited;
otherwise, we will suffer loss. The promise which God gives
concerning salvation takes a household, not an individual, as the
basic unit. New believers should be reminded of this, for it will solve
many problems and give them great benefit.
The Unit of Salvation
When the Bible speaks of eternal life, it always takes an

individual as the unit; never does it take a household as the unit. But
when it deals with salvation, it actually takes the household instead
of the individual. We must see that the unit of salvation is the
household while that of eternal life is the individual.
We wish to spend some time in searching a number of Scripture

verses so as to convince ourselves of the fact that salvation is for the
household. Then we will be able to come to God and plead for
households according to His Word.
Our Course
We do hope that in the future we will not need to spend lots of

time trying to save the children born in our midst, trying to bring our
second generation back from the world. All who are born into our
homes according to the flesh should also be born into our homes
according to the Spirit. We should not lose them year after year and
then have to save them back afterwards. It is not enough for us just to
bring them into the world; we must also bring them to the Lord.
If brothers and sisters are convinced of this, we will have as many

children saved as are born to us. The Lord has given them to us. How
can we allow them to go away without being saved? Must we save
them back from the world? We will waste a great deal of time if we
let all these small fish go back to the sea and try to catch them
afterwards. No, these small fish must stay with the larger ones.
Whether or not the church has a second generation depends largely
on whether or not our children belong to the Lord.
I do desire that brothers and sisters may see the significance of

this matter. If we lose those born to us, very soon we will not have a
second generation. But if generation after generation continues,
along with new additions from outside, then the church will become
exceedingly strong.
The basic principle of the Bible is that God’s salvation is for the
household. Let us now examine the proofs in both the Old and New
Testaments.
Old Testament Examples
1. THE WHOLE HOUSE ENTERED THE ARK
“And Jehovah said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into
the ark” (Gen. 7:1).
“While the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls,
were saved through water” (1 Pet. 3:20b).
The ark was not for one person; it was for the whole house. The
Bible affirms that the man Noah was righteous before God, but
nowhere does it record that Noah’s sons and daughters-in-law were
HOUSEHOLD SALVATION 91
righteous. Noah alone was referred to as a righteous man. Yet when

God prepared His salvation for Noah, He commanded all his house
to enter into the ark. The ark used the household instead of an
individual as its unit.
A new believer should bring all his house to the ark. You may
pray: “Lord, I have trusted in You. Now I ask You to bring my whole
house in because You have said that all my house may come in.”
God will respect your faith and bring in your whole house.
2. A WHOLE HOUSE WAS CIRCUMCISED
“And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you,

every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house,
or bought with money of any foreigner that is not of thy seed. He that
is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must
needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an
everlasting covenant” (Gen. 17:12-13).
God called Abraham and covenanted with him to make him and
his house His own people. The sign of the covenant was
circumcision. All who were circumcised belonged to God; all who
were not circumcised were not of God. God commanded Abraham to
have his whole house circumcised—those who were born in his
house as well as those who were bought with his money. So the
promise regarding circumcision was not given to Abraham alone; it
was given to the house of Abraham. Circumcision had the household
as its unit of operation. God’s promise was for the whole house of
Abraham, not just for Abraham himself.
3. A PASCHAL LAMB FOR EACH HOUSE
“Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth

day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb,
according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household: . . . And
they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on
the lintel, upon the houses wherein they shall eat it” (Ex. 12:3, 7).
The paschal lamb was definitely for the household, not for an
individual. Thus we are shown how important is the household in the
sight of God. The lamb was slain not for one person but for the
whole house, and its blood was put on the door that the household
might be preserved. The angel, the destroyer, would pass over the
house which had the blood on the door.
How marvelous that the salvation which the Lord Jesus Christ has
prepared is like the paschal lamb for the whole house. It is for the
household to eat the lamb and to apply the blood. The whole family
together receives the salvation of the Lord.
4. THE PRIESTHOOD IS FOR THE HOUSEHOLD
The priesthood which God promised was also for the household.
“And Jehovah said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy fathers’
house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and thou and
thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood” (Num.
18:1).
“And this is thine: the heave-offering of their gift, even all the
wave-offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them unto thee,
and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, as a portion for ever;
every one that is clean in thy house shall eat thereof” (Num. 18:11).
God gave all the wave-offerings of the people to the house of Aaron,
not just to Aaron himself, for the whole household was accepted by
God. The house of Aaron, not Aaron alone, was appointed to be
priests. The priesthood was within the house.
5. A HOUSEHOLD SAVED UNDER A SCARLET CORD

“And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy
house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we shall
be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood
shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him” (Josh. 2:19).
“And the city shall be devoted, even it and all that is therein, to
Jehovah: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with
her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent” (Josh.
6:17).
In the case of Rahab the harlot, the whole house was also saved.
Why? Because she hid the messengers. God gave her a sign—she
must bind the scarlet cord on her window; all who were in the house
would then be spared from slaughter. The rest of the inhabitants of
Jericho were all killed. Salvation was in the scarlet cord, but this
salvation saved not only Rahab but also her house.
So the scope of salvation is pretty clear—it is the household. In

chapter two of Joshua, we see the promise; in chapter six, the
practice. As the promise was, so was the practice. The whole house
of Rahab was therefore saved.
6. BLESSING UPON THE HOUSE
“And the ark of Jehovah remained in the house of Obed-edom the

Gittite three months: and Jehovah blessed Obed-edom, and all his
house” (2 Sam. 6:11).
The blessing of Jehovah in the Old Testament was also for the
household. As the ark remained in the house of Obed-edom, the Lord
blessed him and all his house. The unit for blessing is the house, not
the individual.
I would like to use this opportunity to mention that not just in this
matter of salvation, but in many things in both the Old and the New
Testaments the household is taken as the basic unit. God’s children,

especially the heads of families, should notice that God’s dealing
with men is on the unit of the house. If you are ignorant of this
principle, there is much that you will miss. As head of the family,
you should lay hold of this principle and pray: “Lord, You have told
me that You are not only dealing with me but with my house as well.
Therefore, I ask You to save my household.”
Not only the head of the family can claim this promise; other
members of the house can also lay hold of the father’s house and
claim the promise. Rahab was not head of the family; yet it was she
who laid hold of God and thus the whole house was saved through
her. If you are the head of the family, good, because as head you can
represent the family in claiming the promise. However, you who are
not the head of the family can also rise up in faith and claim God’s
promise, as Rahab did, for the whole house: “Lord, I pray that You
will lead my whole house to Yourself that they may be blessed by
You.”
7. REJOICE WITH THE HOUSEHOLD
“And there ye shall eat before Jehovah your God, and ye shall
rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households,
wherein Jehovah thy God hath blessed thee” (Deut. 12:7).
“And thou shalt bestow the money for whatsoever thy soul
desireth, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for
whatsoever thy soul asketh of thee; and thou shalt eat there before
Jehovah thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thy household”
(Deut. 14:26).
Do you see how God told the Israelites they were to live before
Him? Each household was to eat and drink and rejoice before God.
In other words, the blessing is for the house, not for the individuals.
You and your household should rejoice together in the blessing of the
Lord.
New Testament Examples
1. THE HOUSE OF ZACCHAEUS
What about Zacchaeus? “And Jesus said unto him, Today is

salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of
Abraham” (Lk. 19:9). How wonderful it is that the New Testament
proclaims the same principle. We usually think of salvation as
coming to the individual. Perhaps many have preached that way. But
the Lord declares that “salvation has come to this house.”
When you go out to preach the gospel, you should pay attention to
household salvation. Do not expect only individuals to be saved. If
you really believe and truly expect more, your work will undergo a
great change. We want whole houses to be converted. Much depends
on your faith and expectation. Should you expect them to come one
by one, they will come one by one. But if you believe in their coming
house by house, you will get them house after house. The scope of
God’s salvation is the house; let us not reduce that scope.
2. THE HOUSE OF THE NOBLEMAN
“So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said
unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house”
(John 4:53). He who was healed was only one person, the
nobleman’s son; but the Bible records that the nobleman and his
whole house believed in the Lord. Although the son alone received
grace directly, nonetheless, the whole house turned to the Lord. Let
our request and expectation before God also produce such abundant
fruit.
3. THE HOUSE OF CORNELIUS

“A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who
gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always” (Acts
10:2).
“Who shall speak unto thee words, whereby thou shalt be saved,
thou and all thy house” (Acts 11:14). Cornelius invited his relatives
and friends to hear Peter.
As Peter spoke, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, and all who were
gathered in his house were saved. This is a tremendous
demonstration that God deals with households rather than just with
individuals.
4. THE HOUSE OF LYDIA
“And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us,
saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my
house, and abide there. And she constrained us” (Acts 16:15). The
apostles preached the gospel to the household of Lydia and they
believed and were baptized.
5. THE HOUSE OF THE PHILIPPIAN JAILOR
“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be
saved, thou and thy house” (Acts 16:31). This is one of the most
famous Bible verses in Christianity.
Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved, even you and
your house. I do not think we can dispute this statement. God’s Word
does not say, Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall have eternal
life, you and your house. It says, Believe on the Lord Jesus and you
shall be saved, you and your house.
In both the Old and the New Testaments, God deals with men by
the household unit. This is the smallest unit; let us not further reduce
it. If anyone believes in the Lord Jesus, his whole house shall be
saved. This, indeed, is marvelous. I do not know the reason, but that
is what the Lord has said.
The church at Philippi began with this wonderful promise.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy
house” (Acts 16:31). Was this promise fulfilled? “And he brought
them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced
greatly, with all his house, having believed in God” (16:34). How
very beautiful is the picture! In the beginning the promise was given
to the jailor and he alone heard it. But he brought his whole family
over to hear Paul and so they all were baptized. Then he took Paul
and Silas to his house and set food before them. He with all his house
rejoiced greatly, for they all believed in God. So this promise of
“believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy
house” is not difficult to fulfill after all. The apostles gave the jailor
the promise; consequently the whole household was saved.
The apostles never told the jailor anything else. For example, they
didn’t say, “You believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved.
Then after a couple of days have gone by we will tell you some
more. Now you just be at rest. Slowly you should testify to your
house that they may gradually come to have faith and be saved. We
can assure you that this household will doubtless sooner or later all
be saved.”
Let me ask you: which is easier, to save individuals or to save

households? Of course we do not mean that we should not seek souls
one by one. But the apostles always took in households. Let us, then,
not lose this privilege of bringing households to the Lord.
Let the household be the object of our labor. If we aim at the

household, we shall gain the household; if we aim at individuals, we
will gain only individuals. God will do things according to our faith.
If we know God’s way of dealing with men, we shall not suffer

loss. God takes the household as His unit of operation. In gaining one
person, you gain the whole house irrespective of the size of the
household. May our hearts be opened by God so that we may take
this stand. Let us encourage brothers and sisters to lead whole
households to the Lord.
6. THE HOUSE OF CRISPUS
“And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue believed in the Lord

with all his house; . . . and were baptized” (Acts 18:8).
We have instances in the Bible of the whole house believing in the

Lord and instances of individuals believing in Him. But believing by
the household in those days far exceeded what we see today. God’s
grace can easily come to a whole household. Crispus and all his
house believed in the Lord and were baptized.
7. THE PROMISE IS TO YOU AND TO YOUR CHILDREN
We have already seen how the door of the gospel was opened to
the Gentiles in the salvation of the house of Cornelius. Now let us
turn back to look again at the situation at Pentecost.
“For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are
afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto Him”
(Acts 2:39).
The promise given at Pentecost is that man’s sin may be forgiven

and he may receive the Holy Spirit. This promise is to your children
as well as to you. It is therefore especially important for heads of
families to lay hold of this promise, saying, “To us and to our
children is this promise given. It is not for us exclusively, for our
children may possess it together with us.”
8. PEACE TO THE HOUSE
“And into whatsoever house ye shall enter, first say, Peace be to

this house. And if a son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon
him: but if not, it shall turn to you again” (Lk. 10:5-6).
When one is sent out to preach the gospel, he should enter into a
house saying, “Peace be to this house.” If anyone in the house is
worthy of peace, this blessing will be upon the whole house. Again,
God’s peace is not just for an individual but for the house. May
young believers seize upon this blessed promise. Thank God, peace
also comes upon house after house.
9. THE HOUSE OF STEPHANAS
“And I baptized also the household of Stephanas” (1 Cor. 1:16).

Paul baptized every member of the house of Stephanas for they all
believed in the Lord.
10. THE HOUSE OF ONESIPHORUS
“Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the house of Onesiphorus” (2 Tim.

4:19).
“The Lord grant mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus: for he oft
refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain” (2 Tim. 1:16).
This family took care of Paul and was not ashamed of his chain.
You will notice that it was not just one member but the whole house
that helped Paul.
I trust from the few chosen Scripture passages (I have not time to
mention all the instances in the Old and New Testaments) we can at
least be assured that the unit of God’s dealing is the house.
Especially in the matter of salvation, God takes the house as the unit
of His grace.
God’s Unit of Punishment
Here we will find some Bible verses which show that the unit of
God’s punishment is also the household. As men rebelled against
God, God reacted in wrath against their houses. Thus not only peace
and joy and salvation are for the household, punishment is also for
the household. As the blessing of God comes to the house, likewise
does the punishment of God come to the house. If God can punish
the house for the sake of one member, surely He can bless the house
also for one person. As woe comes to the family through one man, so
blessing and salvation come to the house by one member. In view of
this, a new believer should learn to stand up for his house. “As for
me and my house we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15b).
1. THE HOUSE OF PHARAOH
“And Jehovah plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues
because of Sarai, Abram’s wife” (Gen. 12:17). For the sin of one
man, Pharaoh, the Lord plagued him and his house. If God’s woe
comes to the household, may we not expect His blessing to come to
the household too? We are not destined to be plagued; rather are we
to be people of His grace.
2. THE HOUSE OF ABIMELECH
“For Jehovah had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of
Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife” (Gen. 20:18). All the
wombs, not just one or two wombs of the house of Abimelech, were
closed.
3. THE HOUSE OF DAVID
“Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house,
because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the
Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will raise up evil
against thee out of thine own house; and I will take thy wives before
thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbor, and he shall lie with thy
wives in the sight of this sun” (2 Sam. 12:10-11).
After David had sinned, the chastisement of God came upon his
house, even that the sword would not depart from his house. David
alone sinned, but David’s house received God’s judgment. From
God’s viewpoint, one’s house is closely related to one’s self and they
become one unit. God divides the people on earth into houses, not
into individuals. Therefore we must come to God by the household.
4. THE HOUSE OF JEROBOAM
“And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to
cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth” (1 Kings
13:34). As a result of his setting up idols, God cut off his whole
house.
“Moreover Jehovah will raise him up a king over Israel, who shall
cut off the house of Jeroboam that day: but what? even now” (14:14).
Why did God cut off the house of Jeroboam? We can only say that it
was because the house is a unit before God.
5. THE HOUSE OF BAASHA
“Behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house; and I
will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat” (1
Kings 16:3). God cut off the house of Baasha in the same way as He
cut off the house of Jeroboam, for the unit of God’s dealing is the
house.
6. THE HOUSE OF AHAB
I think one of the most famous houses in the book of Kings is the
house of Ahab. “And I will make thy house like the house of
Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of
Ahijah for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to
anger, and hast made Israel to sin” (1 Kings 21:22). Why did God
deal with the house of Ahab? Because Ahab provoked God. Ahab
was one of the worst kings in the Old Testament. He received the
same treatment from God as the house of Jeroboam and the house of
Baasha.
7. THE HOUSES OF DATHAN AND ABIRAM
“And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the
son of Reuben; how the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them
up, and their households, and their tents, and every living thing that
followed them, in the midst of all Israel” (Deut. 11:6). The word
“household” in Hebrew is the same word for “house.” Dathan and
Abiram sinned against God; the earth opened its mouth and
swallowed up them and their households.
I am convinced that the Bible in both the Old and the New
Testaments and both positively and negatively, affirms the house as
the unit of God’s dealing. Brethren, do you think this is true? If so,
let us live carefully before God because one person can affect the
whole house.
Heads of the Families
I would like to speak specially to heads of families. To the

children, our words must not be too weighty. But all the responsible
ones in the Bible, with the probable exception of Lydia, are heads of
houses. As heads of families, they are responsible before God in a
special way. What is this special responsibility? It is that they bring
their households to serve the Lord.
In the capacity of head of a household, I can claim God’s promise

for the whole house. I may declare that my house will believe in the
Lord. Whether the children have believed or not does not alter this
decision, for I, not they, am responsible for the house. I should quote
the words of Joshua before God and my house, “But as for me and
my house, we will serve Jehovah” (Josh. 24:15). I choose for the
family. Hereafter the world has to acknowledge that this is a
Christian family, a family which believes in the Lord.
Stand on this decision and speak in faith. Do not compromise your

position. Bring your wife and your children to the same position. Lay
hold of this: I am head of the family; my house shall believe in God;
I have decided to have a worshipping house, a house that believes in
the Lord. If you declare by faith and lead with authority, you will
naturally bring your children in.
I think each and every head of the family ought to gather his
children and dependents together and declare to them the words of
Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.” If you
take this position of faith, all of your house will eventually come to
the Lord, for they have no escape. This, indeed, is marvelous.
We have noticed now that household salvation is in the Bible, but

our experience in this respect is not adequate. Thank God, when I
was in England, I had the privilege of meeting a group of brothers
who also believed in salvation for the household. I found in their
midst family after family of Christians. I was deeply impressed.
According to our faith, so shall God do to us. As I talked with them, I
was really surprised. We have the knowledge, but they have the fact.
Once I visited George Cutting, the author of “Safety, Certainty

and Enjoyment.” He was at that time already over eighty years of
age. His hair and beard were all white He lay in bed, and his mind
was somewhat dull. But when I visited him, he said to me, “Brother
Nee, you know, we cannot do without Him and He cannot do without
us.” He was in intimate communion with the Lord. As you know,
aside from the Bible, this little booklet, “Safety, Certainty and
Enjoyment,” has had the largest circulation. Thank the Lord, Mr.
Cutting had a family of over eighty persons and all of them were
saved. His sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, great-
grandchildren were all saved. He believed in the word, “Believe on
the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house”; so his
whole house was saved.
I do hope that you are convinced of household salvation. New

believers should gather their family members and declare to them
that hereafter their houses belong to God. Whether they have truly
believed or have not believed, whether they approve or oppose, the
declaration must be made. As head of the family, you must take this
position. You should hold the rein of your house that all will serve
God. Let me tell you: if you take this stand by faith, it shall be done
to you.
If all who have been saved had come by households instead of by

individuals, what a difference it would have made. Brethren, never
be negligent of the children in our homes. One of the great failures of
the Protestant church is in the family. They give their next generation
too much freedom. Look at the Roman Catholic Church. They need
not preach the gospel, for all who are born into Catholic houses are
reckoned as Catholics. You do not see them preaching on the streets
like the Salvation Army, and yet generation after generation is
propagated within the Catholic Church. They do not stress so much
on adding from the outside as on being born within. Disregarding
personal faith, all in Catholic families are included in the system.
Today there are three times as many Catholics as Protestants in the
world. We too should be careful not to let our children leak out into
the world.
If we truly believe, the Lord will work. The way is clear: God will
bless us by the household. Household salvation is a tremendous
principle—one believes and the whole house shall be saved. So stand
firm before God that your household may all be transformed.

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Basic Lesson Series—Volume 2

The Good Confession

Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc.

Available from the Publishers at:

9. SEPARATED FROM THE WORLD 19

10. THE ELIMINATION OF DISTINCTIONS 35

12. HOW TO LEAD PEOPLE TO CHRIST 69

13. HOUSEHOLD SALVATION 89

These messages on practical Christian living have now been

“Exercise thyself unto godliness” (1 Tim. 4:7), is the exhortation

All quotations of the Scriptures, unless otherwise indicated, are

The Importance of Public Confession

The matter of confession ought to be brought to the

Suppose a baby makes no sound after one, two, or even three

I have seen some people who at first pretended to be Christians

The Advantages of Public Confession

One distinct advantage of publicly confessing the Lord lies in

The Dilemma of Not Confessing

If one fails to confess the Lord, he will be in a wretched plight.

This scene in the Jewish synagogue may today be expanded to

Suppose we use an illustration. What kind of a person are you if

Changed Life and Confession

Many new believers, especially those who come from Christian

New believers should seize the first opportunity to stand up and

confession is also indispensable. No matter how good one’s conduct

In my many years of labor, I have frequently heard people say: if

thing in hand. Who would ever buy something in order to throw it

A Reason for Not Confessing

“The fear of man bringeth a snare” (Prov. 29:25). As one fears,

He who fears man falls into a snare. Let him remember: as he is in

Confession Breaks the Sense of Shamefulness

mortification we receive from men today can never be compared

To confess the Lord is nothing to be ashamed of; it is, rather, a

Why were the rulers in John 12 afraid to confess the Lord?

Another point yet to be mentioned is that the synagogue

Whether or not we are persecuted by the world after believing, let

It is a characteristic of the church to boldly confess the Lord as

Our Confession and the Lord’s Confession

afraid to confess before a slave girl, a person who had no freedom of

There are a great number of commands, examples,

Meaning of Redemption Typified by the Exodus from Egypt

We who are saved by grace are redeemed by the blood. Let us

The first effect of redemption, therefore, is separation. God never

Nonetheless, we must remember that to be redeemed by the blood

It does not take several years for the redeemed to be separated. On

us remember, if we leave one thing or one person behind, we will not

When we go out to the wilderness, we must bring all our property

Our Way Is in the Wilderness

According to the New Testament sense, both Egypt and the

We Christians must come out of the world as a system. To be

D. M. Panton has a well-spoken word concerning our walk in the

Let me use an illustration to show the meaning of separation.

Although we have not yet left this world as a place, we have

Suppose you go to a store to buy a watch. After buying, you leave

Principles Governing Separation

The man must completely come out of Egypt and be separated

be different from the world, even though we desire to be at peace

1. THINGS WHICH THE WORLD CONSIDERS UNWORTHY OF A

We must be separated from anything the world considers

I know of many sons and daughters who have non-believing

2. THINGS WHICH ARE INCONSISTENT TO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH

Anything which is inconsistent to our relationship with the Lord